Genshi
by lastyearsthing
Summary: Continuation of the story Loophole Three years have passed and Sakura is still in Konoha with a new occupation. Hunternin. Even though an enemy, Itachi is still in her mind.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own it.

I decided to put this part of the story up separately as it will have a higher rating. I didn't want to up the rating of Loophole.I'm hoping this story will be a little darker and a little more mature.

Genshi means apparition.

Genshi – Chapter 1 (Loophole's Continuation)

* * *

It was late, or early, depending on the point of view, and Haruno Sakura yawned lazily against the hot night air. The moisture of a quick storm had made her skin sticky and damp, and she felt dirty, her clothes matted to her. She hated that feeling when she was tired. 

The tall Konoha trees swayed; leaves crossed in and out of the shadows and moonlight. It was hypnotic and just a little dull. Certainly missions were supposed to be exciting (if stories the older Shinobi told were to be believed), but lately they had all been lacking. Tonight was no different.

The branch on which Sakura was perched was high, but a good level to see the area below. Her objective would be coming that way. In this, she was never wrong.

The black on black she wore in the form of a specially made ANBU uniform was perfect for hiding among those moonlit branches. The black headband covered her unusual hair to hide her identity. For now, she was just another bored hunter, or at least that is what she would have liked to be.

Light footfalls vibrated through the forest nearby, with a pace faster than a casual traveler would have.

Eerie calmness came over Sakura as each breath became steadier. Fatigue was forgotten. Muscles tensed, but her pulse did not quicken. It never quickened anymore.

She closed her eyes to shut off one sense as her mind focused on her others.

_Almost here…_

Finally the moment came, and the nearly imperceptible steps of a ninja fell along the path under the tree. A small smile crossed her lips. She was never wrong.

Noiselessly, she slid a kunai from her holster and spun it twice around her fingers as she had seen Hatake Kakashi do many times. Was he thinking the same thing she was when he did that? _Probably not._

With deliberate slowness, she pulled the porcelain mask that sat on her covered hair down over her face. The cold hardness of it felt good against her hot skin. For an outsider to look at that mask they would see something blank, completely blank. Just like she was in the moments that she wore it.

A calm, slow walk down the tree with chakra put her on the path of the man she was to capture tonight. A drawn out fight with this particular criminal would be a waste of her valuable time. But, as duty required, she darted after him. It only took seconds to catch up.

He wasn't S-class, and so Sakura applied some simple techniques to confuse him. She waited for the right opportunity to attack, as he grew increasingly disoriented in her jutsu. If Haruno Sakura was one thing, it was patient. All who knew her would agree to that.

The young nin stood in a small circle of trees, his chest rising with adrenaline-laden breaths. He gritted his teeth and gave a small grunt of frustration because he knew someone was there, stalking him like an animal. He felt the suffocating impossibility of escape. Drawing the sword from his back, the nin held it out and decided that he would go down hard and give up nothing.

The seconds drew out painfully, the sound of his breathing filling the air around him.

For a fleeting moment, his hands loosened and then tightened in an attempt to hold onto the sweat-covered hilt--a last mistake.

"Let it fall," a muffled feminine voice said from beside his right ear.

"Shit," he hissed through clenched teeth. The point of a kunai jabbed his throat when he spoke. Warm blood slid down his neck.

Sakura squeezed his left hip with her fingers to let him know that she was behind him and that she had the advantage. So foolishly, he had used both hands to hold his sword. He really was a waste of her time.

The man's body began to shake slightly. Sakura knew it wasn't fear, but that hot surge of energy that can buckle knees or create enough strength to knock down a tree with a bare fist. She'd felt it many times before, though rarely now.

"Don't," she said softly. "I'm not here to kill you."

"Are you a Leaf-nin?" he grunted.

"Whom else did you expect?" she asked sincerely.

A small breath of relief escaped him. "All the countries are looking for me."

"Don't flatter yourself," Sakura smirked, "If they wanted you, it wouldn't have been hard to stop you before now."

There could have possibly been a noise of indignation from him, but it wasn't clear, and she didn't really care either way.

"My superiors have some questions for you," she added evenly.

"You haven't come to kill me," he sighed, convinced.

"Not yet," she whispered. His body tensed and she felt it through her fingers. It made her grin. "Move quickly, and we'll be there by morning. Move slowly, and I'll assist you in speeding up." The kunai pressed in a little harder and coaxed a gulp of nervousness from him.

He turned his head slightly to try and see her, only catching sight of the white mask. "A female hunter from the Fire Country? I think I've heard of you. Are you…the…Konoha Gen…"

"Aren't you concerned that that name might offend me?" Sakura said darkly.

"I…don't mean to…offend…" he placated desperately.

"You may address me as Hunter or Ninja, and nothing else," Sakura said coolly as her fingers loosened on his side. The kunai dropped from his throat and she stepped in front of him to lead the way. The walk would be long and it would be morning before they reached headquarters.

Using her pant-leg as a cloth, she wiped the blood off the weapon and held it up to examine it. The moonlight glinted off the blade, and the porcelain mask reflected clearly in the steel.

A Konoha Hunter-nin stared back at her. There was no escaping that blank face.

The missing-nin had almost said it, hadn't he? So many others before him had branded her with that name that she could never shake, and never own up to. This part of her--the part that wasn't medic, kunoichi, or even Sakura--was looking back at her through eye slits in the porcelain façade.

All those times she'd reverted to it. All those times she'd examined it in the dark solitude of her bed as the clock ticked away the tiny hours of the night. It was Itachi, and he had made her what she was now.

Some people wouldn't say the name out loud.

The Konoha Genshi.

The ghost she had to live with forever.

* * *

Konoha was starting to brighten with the coming sun, and the lamps in the streets were going out. It reminded Sakura of sitting in the hospital that time she returned from Itachi's and Kakashi had come to see her. They watched the gray morning outside the window as he tried to express his guilt over losing her on their mission. Unwarranted guilt. It was her guilt ever after that. 

It had been two weeks since she'd seen Kakashi.

It had been two years since she had seen Itachi.

The missing-nin stumbled ahead of Sakura as they entered a large black gate and moved toward the special ops building. Morino Ibiki, her superior, would be waiting impatiently to conduct his interrogation. She hated being late. She hated the way Ibiki crossed his arms and tapped his foot more.

The nin animatedly looked around the small section of Konoha. "This place looks like a dump," he grunted. He trudged two steps ahead of the Hunter-nin, his hands bound behind him.

Sakura raised her foot and kicked him in the back of his thigh to get him moving. "Keep it shut," she said, unaffected.

The large special ops building was close to the gate and the only people who used that black entrance were the hunters. Being a hunter-nin was not the most coveted job, especially when they had to assassinate and "clean-up" who they were chasing, but it was a service necessary to Konoha's well being. Medics weren't very interested in being hunters so she was a rare commodity among those who chose that career. Also, most who were employed in that manner didn't want people to know who they were, hence the masks. Great pay, but the benefits were next to nothing. The stigma was the worst.

In the year she had been employed in that dark manner, Sakura earned a nickname from the other hunters, who happened to all be men. She wasn't fond of it at first, but felt it a mark of respect. When other people started making references to the "Genshi" aside from the hunters, she found she disliked the name. When other countries spoke of the Genshi, she abhorred it.

They arrived at the special ops building and within seconds of the large wooden door opening to let them in, Sakura gave up her captive with a last kick to his calf and left. There was no need to stay. The mission was successful and her hands were empty.

Although there were only a few, being a hunter had its advantages, namely no reports.

As she wandered back outside, Sakura noticed two Jounin standing nearby, most likely having just finished delivering their own captive to the interrogation unit. Of course, it had to be the one person beside the Hokage and her superiors who knew who she was in that uniform.

_Hatake Kakashi._

If it was only Kakashi, it wouldn't have been so bad, but Shiranui Genma-- another well-known Jounin-- was standing with him. A long steel senbon moved up and down between Genma's lips as a smirk curled around it.

"Mm, give her handcuffs and a whip and she just stepped out of my dream last night," Genma hummed.

From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Kakashi step away and shake his head. Her old sensei knew her too well.

Before Genma recognized what had happened, a kunai was at his groin, and a black-gloved hand held his throat from behind.

"Is this what happened in your dream?" she whispered.

"Not quite," he replied with a strangled laugh.

She gave a quick glance and a small nod to Kakashi before she disappeared.

"Damn. I think I'm in love," Genma laughed, cupping his family jewels protectively and scanning the area in case she was still there.

"That's a complicated one. You'd be better to pick someone a little easier," Kakashi said quietly.

* * *

A hot shower was always good to wash away the night, and Sakura found today was no exception. Still wet and warm from the water, she wandered into her bedroom and lounged on her bed, enjoying the feeling of cooling naked skin in the morning sunlight. 

She slipped into her sheets after feeling dry enough and relished being in something soft after such a long night. It usually took a while to get to sleep, so normally she'd just lie there and watch the broken light from the wood blinds on the ceiling.

Sometimes her mind stayed busy while her body went limp of all tenseness it held onto during a mission. This morning, she was thinking about him. It didn't happen as often as it used to, but he seemed to be in her thoughts constantly since she had watched the lamps turn on this morning.

"Itachi", she whispered the name to the shadows.

_Two years. _

The Akatsuki still prowled the five countries, doing dirty work and raking up power. They were a force beyond all now, and Sakura stayed far away from missions involving them. There weren't very many because they couldn't afford to keep losing hunters. Not a lot of ninja pursued that line of work in the first place.

If Itachi had gotten his way the last time she saw him, she would be one of the Akatsuki now.

All the training they would do when she'd go to see him, all the moves, jutsu, and weapon tricks he taught her, were all for one reason. It was almost too late when she realized.

That last day with him, they became enemies.

She told herself not to think about it. It was the only thing that could make her cry now.

In his limited capacity, she felt he cared for her as much as he could care for anyone beside himself. He couldn't love, or even understand such a feeling. Itachi was unique in such horrible ways. He protected her and had some deep desire to keep her with him, but it wasn't enough.

In the end, she couldn't be satisfied with what he offered her in exchange for her life in Konoha. She knew, to her own horror, that she had developed some love for him. And she knew that if she proclaimed her love for him, he would tell her she was weak. It never passed her lips.

Such a love would only be twisted and wrong anyway.

Pressing her face into the pillow, Sakura closed her eyes and tried to push passed the memories in favor of rest. If she didn't sleep now, she wouldn't later.

It was Saturday, and Ino would be at her door before the sun went down.

* * *

As predicted, a loud knock at the door announced her even louder friend. During bouts of gossip and wine sipping, Sakura got dressed and prepared for a few drinks at the pub to satisfy Ino's need for her company. Within half an hour, she was ready and they took the short walk along the darkening Konoha streets to the main pub for Shinobi. 

Once inside, the room seemed dull until her eyes adjusted to the atmosphere. Music played somewhere, and by the swell of the crowd in the opposite corner, people were dancing.

The long mahogany bar was filled with people on swiveling stools, and to her small pleasure, Hatake Kakashi was among them having a drink. Sakura took a quick look at her blond friend who was on tiptoe and surveying the crowd for whoever she might be looking for that night. Sakura didn't ask whom, and really didn't care.

Near the dance floor, a small group also caught her eye, though she wished they hadn't. It wasn't irregular to find Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto with a small contingency of fresh young Chuunin eyeing them covetously. Tonight Sasuke had managed to find one to keep closer company as she swung her slender arms around his neck, entangling them tightly and warning off any other pursuers. Sakura watched him until he met her eyes. She was the first to break their gaze.

"Ino, I'm going to go talk with Hatake Kakashi for a bit. I'll be at the bar."

The blond had also seen Sasuke and nodded knowingly. This moment had reoccurred at regular intervals over the last year. Sakura always handled it well, but the Uchiha was a different story. The only thing she could do for Sakura was be indignant on her behalf.

Sakura waved off Ino as she walked toward the bar and found her old sensei enjoying a drink with Genma. As she approached, Genma eyed her blue jeans and white t-shirt with some skepticism.

"You'll never pick-up dressed like that," Genma drawled.

"Oh, I don't know. Isn't this what you prefer, Kakashi?" she alluded.

Kakashi's shoulders bounced just slightly and he looked down to hide his face.

Genma's mouth fell open as he watched Sakura lean so close to Kakashi that she actually straddled one of his thighs. Sliding her hands up his shoulders, she played gently with the hair around his collar and moved her face close to his.

"Quit messing, you two. I know she's just trying to see your face," Genma huffed, waving off seriousness.

"Oh, I've seen it. Haven't I, Kakashi-kun," Sakura hummed as she let her mouth hover just an inch from Kakashi's masked lips. One of her fingers dipped into the edge of it and ran along between the fabric and his cheek.

Genma leaned closer to hear the answer. His eyes looked down to see Kakashi's hands slide around Sakura's waist. When he looked up, he watched the pair stare into each other's eyes.

Kakashi tipped his head, leaning in for a kiss as well and said, very quietly, "Twice."

Genma jolted back up and crossed his arms. "Don't yank my chain," he growled, clearly offended at their joke. Sakura expected an argument but he walked away without so much as an innuendo or even a curse -- so unlike Genma.

"What's the matter with him?" Sakura muttered.

"He almost got his jewels cut off this morning by a Hunter-nin. He's a little sensitive right now."

Kakashi chuckled and Sakura laughed with him, but didn't let him go. "I think Genma is actually looking for someone who _will_ yank his chain, don't you think?" she said playfully.

"He'll find one. He always does." Kakashi took his hands from Sakura's waist but she still held on.

Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, "Why haven't you come to see me? Every month, remember? You agreed."

"My eye is fine. It's been three years, Sakura. How long do I have to have it monitored?"

"Five. You know that." She still kept her arms around his neck, but leaned back enough to look into his eyes. The slate gray one still looked different from the dark Uchiha eye, even in the smoky pub. She loved that his headband didn't obscure the left half of his face anymore, as did many of the other women of Konoha.

"Well, this is cozy. Am I interrupting?" Sasuke said from beside the pair, still somewhat entangled.

"Yes, actually," Sakura snipped. She made no attempt to let Kakashi go. "Don't you have some big important dangerous mission to go on or something?"

Sasuke ran his hand through his short hair and rolled his eyes. To Sakura, he looked so much like he did when they were teens. It was hard to be mad at him. Since he cut his long hair two years before, he began to resemble the cocky young man she met as a girl. Lately his attitude had matched it, and she'd grown tired of him. Since their team had split and Sasuke was almost killed, there was something that always reared up and made them fight. She was 23 now. Even his good looks could only get him so far with her.

"I'm not in the mood for your bitching," Sasuke sighed.

"Alright. Tell me what you'd prefer instead? Indifference? Disinterest? I can do both for you if you like." Sakura plastered her face with a fake sweetness that could anger anyone.

"Okay, that's it for me," Kakashi said as he put his hands up in surrender. Too often, he felt like a mediator with them. "It's nice to see you, Sasuke. Sakura, I'll come see you tomorrow if that works."

Sakura relinquished her embrace on Kakashi and allowed him to stand up in front of her.

"Actually, Kakashi, I was hoping you'd take me home," she said loud enough for everyone in the immediate area to hear.

Kakashi tipped his head back and looked at the ceiling as he exhaled a loud and exaggeratedly. "Alright."

"Well, have fun kids," Sasuke spat with sarcasm as he huffed away.

"Jerk," Sakura growled out as she grabbed Kakashi's arm and tugged him toward the door.

"What about your friend?" Kakashi shouted over the people they bustled by as they moved to the exit. His thumb jerked towards the dance floor.

"Never mind. It looks like Genma's found her."

* * *

The night air felt good and filled Sakura's lungs as she inhaled deep breaths. Kakashi wandered silently beside her as they neared the road that her apartment was on, past closed shops and worn buildings. He could always tell when she didn't want to be alone. 

"Everything go alright on your mission?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah. It was an easy one. I hope I didn't embarrass you back there. I didn't expect Sasuke to come over. He seemed…preoccupied." Sakura shook her head absently.

"You could never embarrass me," Kakashi said quietly, "Genma on the other hand…"

Her soft laugh made Kakashi's shoulders release their tenseness.

Sometimes they didn't need to talk, but as long as Sakura wasn't alone, she was happy. Since the day Sasuke was almost killed, Kakashi had noticed a change in her. For a while, she seemed darker and introverted like she was trying to hide something. After about a year, she just seemed tired and jaded. It was two drastic changes, but Kakashi figured Sasuke was a big part of it.

"Do you think Genma believed that I'd seen your face before?" Sakura pondered.

"Yeah, actually. I'd never lie about that, so he'll try to pry it out of me tomorrow. I might let it drag on for a bit, so play it up if he bothers you."

Sakura smiled and nodded. Her gaze went up to the stars overhead and their feet slowed unconsciously as if they didn't want to hurry to end their quiet walk.

Kakashi looked sideways at the subdued kunoichi and remembered the first time she'd seen his face. It had been two years before when he was on a mission. Everything went wrong from the moment they left Konoha until the attack that injured the majority of his six man team. Had Sakura's ANBU squad not stumbled on them, he felt sure at least half of those six would be dead now.

It was raining and cold at the forest edge of the Fire Country. Intercepting enemy information transfers were nothing new to Kakashi, but his team leader was inexperienced and got them into trouble. Had there not been elites in the party, all would have been so much worse.

In the end, many bodies injured and dead lay in the long grass at the border. No one had called for help.

Kakashi lay on the damp ground trying to will some energy into his limbs after he used the sharingan too much. If he could just get up and radio for help…

But help came without being called.

A figure of an ANBU leaned over the copy-nin as he lay still and coughed blood into his mask. Warm fingers pried the wet fabric from his face until it lay along his neck, and then they wiped the blood from his lips. His half closed eyes couldn't make out his rescuer.

It took a moment for him to realize whom it was that leaned so close, shielding his face from the rain.

"See to the others," Kakashi choked out quietly. He opened his eyes fully to see a curtain of pink hair dangling near his cheek and the concerned eyes he knew so well. Her hands had already started furiously pumping healing energies into his injuries.

Sakura locked her gaze with his. "You first."

Kakashi would never forget the way she sounded or the relief he felt when he realized it was his favorite medic. After that day, they had a stronger bond between them. Now he was a protector and confidant as opposed to a superior. The way Sakura had grown, he wondered if anyone was superior to her now.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked with mild concern. It was usually all he could muster into his voice, even though in his mind it was stronger.

"Of course." She turned to her front steps and didn't look back as she opened the door. If she'd given him a last acknowledgement, he'd see something in her face that would make him insist on a coffee or at the very least, another stroll around the block. Kakashi didn't deserve to be stuck as her babysitter on nights like these. At this early hour, he could go back and rejoin the crowd at the pub.

She shut the door when she heard his friendly 'goodnight' and his steps as he walked back up the street.

"Alone at last," she said to no one. She didn't really mean it to be a statement of relief.

The dark apartment felt welcoming and she wished she had never left it. Following Ino into a crowded smoky room and watching women paw Sasuke and Naruto was not her idea of a good time. However enjoyable being in a social atmosphere was supposed to be, Sakura didn't think she had the faculties to enjoy herself like that anymore.

Life as a hunter-nin could be hard. Life as the former lover of Uchiha Itachi was harder.

Slipping off her shoes and dropping her keys to the small table near the door, she took three steps toward her bedroom when her senses perked up.

She wasn't alone.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed and poked me to update. Unfortunately, work has to come first. I'm still working on a large project, but it will done soon. I'll be able to update faster when that is finished. This was sort of an introductory chapter to show the time jump again. If you are reading this story for the first time, this is a continuation of my other story "Loophole." 

Thanks to roark28 for the beta, and to tsukashi for her constant support even when I got down on my writing.

Thanks again for all the reviews and attention to Loophole. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

I missed you guys.

Leafy.


	2. Coffee, Vodka and Water

**(Genshi means "apparition")**

Genshi – Chapter 2

Coffee, Vodka and Water.

* * *

There was no doubt in Sakura's mind that someone else was in the apartment. Sensing chakra was one of her many talents, and this person had an unmistakable signature.

The shadow of a man appeared at the end of the hallway. She imagined the grin on his face was dark, just like he was. Although he came to her once in a while, she hadn't expected him tonight. A mixed blessing perhaps; at least she knew what he was doing now.

As he came closer, she could see the sleek male body dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans; exactly what he had been wearing in the pub.

"Your walk was long. What did you and Kakashi talk about?" Sasuke said as he slowly approached.

"Nothing in particular," she said coolly.

"I don't mind if you stay angry with me," he smirked. Sure hands reached for her waist and she backed up slowly, staying just out of his grasp. Then brushing past him, she went into her bedroom. She pulled out her shirt, undid her belt, and then unzipped her jeans casually as if he wasn't there. For now, she'd just keep her back to him.

Of course, he followed her. Half in her mind, she knew how the night would go when he had walked away from the Chuunin to come over to her and Kakashi in the pub. This scenario in her apartment had played out every so often and she couldn't say she was opposed to it. The sound of her metal belt buckle opening was a clear invitation to him, even if she pretended it wasn't. They had an understanding and feelings were hard to dismiss when they'd been part of her for a decade.

Busy with ANBU, busy with the hospital and the hunter squad, Sakura never took the time to sort out her feelings for Sasuke. Companionship is what she offered three years ago when she said they'd be "together." Now it had a new meaning.

A second of silence passed as her head fell back, and she rubbed at one shoulder in a soothing manner. Sitting in the tree for hours the night before was catching up to her.

"Tense?" Sasuke's deep voice asked from right behind her. It was calm, but still kept that seductive whisper that he used in the darkness of her bedroom. The warmth of his body pressed against her back and she didn't move away.

Sakura sighed, "Long day."

Sasuke's warm hands reached her shoulders and kneaded firmly. He earned a soft moan for his effort as her head found comfort on his shoulder.

"Why don't you take some time off? I'm sure the hospital can do without you for a while. It's not like Konoha will fall apart if one doctor isn't at work."

The tenseness returned and he felt it under his fingers.

"That's right, I forgot. Hospital work is for those who can't cut it as ANBU. It's easy, lazy, non-contributory work for our village," she recited, the sarcasm blatant.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. Are you starting a fight?" Sasuke's hands slid down lower and rested on her hips while his forehead touched the back of her head. "Why does this always happen? I don't want to talk anymore."

Slowly, his hands slid lower, fingers dipping into the sides of her panties in the loose pants. His breathing grew heavier as his mouth moved to the shell of her ear. "It was hard to watch you with your arms around him."

"Who? Kakashi? You're bothered about Kakashi?" Sakura creased her brow and fought a small scoff.

"He's a man, Sakura," Sasuke whispered as he nuzzled her neck just below her ear. Sakura closed her eyes, finally giving in and allowing her body to enjoy his attention.

She opened her eyes again. "You smell like her perfume."

"I wouldn't if you'd commit to this. And you know I don't take those women seriously. I only want you. Stop pushing me away."

"Your hands are all over me, Sasuke. What more do you want?" she whispered huskily as one of his hands slid under her shirt and into the bottom seam of her bra. The other found its way down the front of her pants.

"I want all of it."

Sakura could feel him getting more excited in his movements until he finally pushed her onto the bed. His hands pulled at her jeans as hers tugged at his black t-shirt, anxious to remove it.

When she finally allowed him to move on top of her and kiss her hard, the discussion was over.

* * *

The smell of vanilla coffee drifted through to the bedroom at exactly 6:00 AM. Sakura smiled a little as she turned over in her double bed, but managed to stay in the warm spot she'd created with body heat. Purchasing a coffeemaker with a timer was a stroke of genius, if she did say so herself.

The small apartment was empty save for her. Sasuke knew she liked it that way and never pushed the issue of staying. If she ever asked him to stay, it would mean that she was his and she wasn't ready for that. For now, the way things were was fine. Besides, it had only been a year since their relationship had actually progressed to sex. Hazy memories of that first night always came back in the mornings after.

So many things could have been blamed for them ending up in bed: vodka, sharingan, loneliness, that too-short red dress. But really, it was the mission that caused it.

Hunter-nin was a job for a certain type of person. Everyone knew that. Her first mission was hard, and horrifying. It was a capture and a disposal of an S-class criminal. She'd vomited after until if felt like her stomach would come through her throat, and that was saying a lot for a medic. Two days later, she managed to drag herself from her bed and look at the world again. Sadly, it wasn't the same.

Only a few people knew who the hunters were. She had no one to talk to but Kakashi, and he was gone on a mission. So to numb it all out, she went out with Naruto and Sasuke to try and forget.

She'd had too much, Naruto knew it and Sasuke should have known it. But for him to notice how far gone she was, he would have had to be at some level of sobriety. Glass after glass of strong liquid fire went down her throat with ease, and it seemed like the other two were trying to keep up. Naruto never felt the liquor like everyone else thanks to the kyuubi. Sasuke was just as drunk as she was.

After last call, they'd stumbled back to her apartment with thoughts of coffee and stories; no one really wanted to be alone. But Naruto had gone missing along the way and left them to carry each other, tripping and laughing, to her apartment.

So when it was just the two of them, it couldn't be helped. There had always been an attraction, but they hadn't acted on it for two years, maybe longer. She didn't want to act on it for so many reasons, but that night she couldn't think of one.

Maybe vodka or his sharingan or his dark hair and deep voice were to blame. When he'd whispered things in her ear about where he wanted to touch her, and what he'd wanted to do to her for so long, she couldn't stop him. And when he slid his hand up that short red dress, she couldn't stop herself.

Three years had passed since Sasuke and Itachi almost killed each other, and she'd healed the elder of the two at his complex. In the first year after, Sakura had slipped away from time to time to return to Itachi. While with him, they'd talk a little, train a little, eat together, and then he would take her to his bed. Gentle and attentive, he could bring her so fast that she'd beg him to pause. But he never failed to do it again or stop until he had.

At then end of that year, Itachi wanted to bring her to the leader of the Akatsuki. The idea had blindsided her; she'd been blinded by her desire all along.

On that last day, they fought.

On that last day, she was sure he would kill her for refusing.

But he didn't, and she came home and spent another year thinking about him and what he could have changed her into. Already tainted with his colour, she'd become jaded and depressed. It seemed to all fit in perfectly when she became a hunter-nin. It was like being in Konoha's Akatsuki, albeit a necessary and acceptable occupation by the five countries' standards.

She'd had moments as a hunter to question that.

At the beginning of the next year, between the vodka, the sharingan, and searching fingers, she gave in to Sasuke. Not entirely a terrible choice, but not exactly what she had planned after she left Itachi. Being alone seemed like something she had to be because of who she had become. She loved Sasuke, but he deserved someone who wouldn't betray him with, or still want, the person who deserved his hate most.

A year with Itachi, a year alone and twelve months with Sasuke had brought her to today. She'd made peace with it all, or so she believed.

The strong bite of the flavoured coffee crossed her tongue this morning, and so she was awake. Standing in her kitchen, she stared at herself in the decorative mirror on the wall and tried to decide whether to cut her shoulder length hair short again. She hoped it would be the hardest decision she'd have to make today.

A confident knock sounded at her door. Sakura closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of vanilla from the mug under her nose before acknowledging it.

"Come in, Naruto," she sighed as she pulled the maroon bathrobe tighter around her naked body.

The tall blond stepped through the door dressed in typical ANBU gear with a large grin to match his personality. "How do you always know it's me?" he laughed. He rubbed at the lines on his face as his eyes closed in humor, and then walked closer and bent to kiss her on the temple.

Sakura scoffed before laughing, "Besides your large chakra, no one else would bang so loudly on my door at six am."

"I see." Naruto stroked his chin thoughtfully before laughing as well. "I have a message from Tsunade. I would have come later but she said she needed to see you before nine."

"She probably needs someone to go through all the texts she's too lazy to read to find a new medical jutsu to try. I guess it'll be a nice change. I could use a boring day of research," she half grumbled, and glanced up from her coffee at Naruto's puzzled look.

"It's that crazy at the hospital?" he asked innocently.

Sakura waved it off, smiling and pointed to the coffeemaker in offer. Like a kid at a candy store, Naruto reached in her cupboard for the largest mug. For someone as energetic as Naruto to love caffeine was just overkill. But he did, and she welcomed the half hour he would sit with her before she had to get ready.

* * *

Tsunade paced. She didn't normally pace, but today the sound of her heels on the wooden floor filled the office.

Sitting calmly in a wooden chair in front of the Sannin's desk, Sakura's eyes followed Tsunade's slow stride to the window and back.

"Shishou, is something wr…"

"Shh," Tsunade admonished, and continued a slow glide along the wall before finally stopping at the window and staring out at Konoha. "I'm still deciding."

Sakura picked at the open zipper on her Jounin vest, trying to keep from interrupting the Hokage's thoughts again. Without meaning to, she breathed out a little too loudly.

Tsunade flashed her a sideways glance. "I said I'm still deciding,"

It was on the tip of Sakura's tongue to ask 'What?' but before it had come out, a merciful knock at the door saved her.

Without waiting for acknowledgement, Hatake Kakashi slipped into the large office, looked at Tsunade, and glanced quickly at Sakura before finding a seat on the wide windowsill. Typical of Kakashi, even in the heavy atmosphere Tsunade had created, slouched shoulders and arms crossed, he looked like he was waiting for the bus.

_Maybe it's going to hit me_, Sakura thought.

"Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked calmly.

Tsunade pointed to a scroll on the desk in front of Sakura, and Kakashi got up to get it. This time he winked at Sakura when he looked at her, and after taking the scroll, found his place back on the windowsill. It only took a glance at the parchment for his brow to crease.

"Sakura," Tsunade began with an air of finality, "There has been a request from the Mizukage to borrow one of our hunter-nins. They need help tracking a criminal. I don't want to ask you, but the fee they will pay is exorbitant."

In an unusual display, Kakashi piped in instead of waiting for the right moment. "You're going to refuse, aren't you?"

"Since when has Hatake Kakashi ever expected us to refuse a Kage's request for help? Look at the bottom of the scroll. His personal seal is there. He is completely responsible for the request and it assures he can be trusted. But the amount he offered to pay…"

"I'm sorry, may I see the scroll?" Sakura asked while reaching toward Kakashi. "Why are you asking me to go? Clearly you are both uncomfortable with it. Send one of the others."

Tsunade finally turned to Sakura, her face never looking more concerned. "They want the Genshi, Sakura. The request is for the Genshi."

In the downward turn at the corner of her mouth, Sakura showed the disdain she held for that name.

"The fee concerns me because for them to pay such a high amount means that they believe the probability of your returning is very small."

"So refuse it," Kakashi reiterated.

"This amount will rebuild portions of Konoha, as well as replenish our stores of weapons and supplies. It is one of the highest fees I've ever seen. The Mizukage knows this. _You_ know this."

Sakura looked over the scroll after Kakashi handed it to her. "Shishou, would you refuse this if the Genshi were anyone else? If they had requested Kakashi, would you refuse?"

Tsunade turned back to the window and stared at her transparent reflection instead of what was outside. The truth was that they would never refuse such an amount. It was not the first time a ninja or two had been seconded to another village. But it was Sakura.

"Do you think I can't handle this?" Sakura added.

Tsunade glanced at Kakashi, and he returned the look. She could handle it, they both knew it, but it was hard to let her go to what could be her death.

Kakashi regarded his former student with a mixture of pride and sadness in his eyes. She was right, and they would accept the offer, whether they wanted to or not.

Finally, Tsunade said quietly "It's your choice, Sakura. I will refuse if you want me to. I am the leader of the Fire Country, after all. I can do what I want."

"No, I'll go." Sakura stood up, committing herself with her confident answer.

"You have to understand, Sakura, you will be under their command. When you get there, you can't come back if you don't like the mission. Now is the only time you can refuse. Why don't you think about it for a little while and come back this afternoon."

Kakashi sat silently, arms still crossed, brow again creased.

"When am I required to be there?" Sakura added as if she had been ordered to go.

Tsunade turned away and bowed her head.

"You'll have to leave today," Kakashi said in the Hokage's place.

"I understand. I'll go and get ready, and leave before noon. Don't worry," Sakura's tone lightened, "I'll return in one piece. You and Kakashi have made sure of that." _Itachi has made sure of that._

Kakashi looked down and laughed softly, just a breath of sound.

* * *

With her rucksack packed and her ANBU uniform laid out on her bed, Sakura took a deep breath and tried to clear her thoughts. Dangerous or not, she had to go. For Konoha and for herself, she had to do what duty required and just because she was the Hokage's former student, she deserved no special treatment. Besides, what could possibly be any more dangerous than the duties she has in Konoha? S-class was S-class.

No country would ever request another's hunter if it would strain ties. Mist and Fire were close allies, and perhaps they were having trouble catching one of their own and needed a different style of tracking. This idea made the most sense, so she bit down on it.

Glancing into the closet, she looked at the spare black vest hanging there. She didn't normally wear it unless they had a mission in the rogue country. It was special. The black vest was exactly like the other ANBU vests, but the seamstress who made it had stitched with red thread. This one was made for the Genshi.

When she was being measured, Sakura requested a little something extra in this uniform, and so the seamstress used the red stitching to tell it apart from the others. There could be no mistake of giving it to another person. Inside the back of the vest, a light silver bracelet adorned with seals had been stitched into the fabric. When wearing it, if Sakura pressed on her lower back, she could feel the cool metal through the thin layer of material between it and her skin.

It would warm and light with Itachi's chakra. If he came near her, she needed a warning.

They were enemies now.

Walking slowly over to the closet, she pulled the vest out and replaced the normal black one with it. The red and black reminded her so much of the Akatsuki, but it didn't matter. This belonged to the Genshi, and might one day save her life.

It was eleven thirty, and she knew it was time to get moving, but had to do a few things before she could leave. When she stepped out of her apartment door into the bright warm morning, she found Kakashi leaning lazily up against the light pole across the street.

He wanted to say goodbye, and handed her his fanged vengeance scroll. Two years ago, he had taught her how to summon the dogs during training, and this scroll was a prized possession of his. It had been passed down from his father, and was one of his best tools when tracking and capturing people during his ANBU days.

She swore she'd guard it with her life. Kakashi said he'd rather have her life than the scroll.

The look on his face was not encouraging as he forced it into her hands and reminded her of the procedures. Sakura hugged Kakashi and told him to keep an eye on 'the boys' while she was gone. It made Kakashi laugh and she was glad for a moment of levity with him.

He walked her to Hokage Tower where she had a more emotional farewell with Tsunade. It was getting all too depressing.

Lastly, after leaving them both, she made her way to the Uchiha complex. It was quiet. Sasuke had sold many of the houses in the complex and there were people there, but around the largest Uchiha home, the houses still lay vacant.

Sakura approached the door and knocked softly.

A voice yelled through the door before it opened "Yeah?"

Dressed only in his black jogging pants, Sasuke stood in the open doorway with a gray towel over his head, peeking through it to see Sakura standing on his doorstep. The surprise in his eyes was unexpected.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Sakura asked cautiously, wondering if he wasn't alone. "I know you didn't expect me, but…"

Without warning, Sasuke grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. Sakura followed his lead until he closed the door and pushed her against the wall. His fingers wrapped around her upper arms and he held her there as he bent to kiss her, the towel slipping down his back to the floor. It was passionate and a bit unexpected, but Sakura melted into it.

Finally, he backed away and smiled at her. The scent of shampoo and soap seemed to cover him and she breathed it in.

"What brings you here?" Sasuke smirked. He leaned forward, putting his hand on the wall beside her while the fingers of his other hand ran along the bottom of her pink hair. From where the towel had rubbed over it, his hair stood at odd angles, making her smile.

"I…I've got to leave," Sakura began, forgetting everything she had planned to say.

Sasuke stood straight up, "Leave?"

"A medical trip. There is a seminar on medical jutsu in the Northern part of the Fire Country, and then I'm going to go and do some research in the lightning country on some of their herbs. They won't grow here so I need to go there. I don't know when I'll be back," she lied, and it was hard.

"You've never told me you were leaving before. It's a nice change."

"I suppose I never felt the need to tell you before."

Sasuke tilted his head and half smiled, "Why this time?"

"I don't know…I didn't want you to worry, I guess," Sakura mumbled.

"Well, a medical seminar and research doesn't sound too dangerous. I won't worry, but I'll look forward to you coming back," he said sincerely. "Maybe then we discussed the way this relationship is going. I think it's about time, don't you?"

Sakura looked at the floor, "It is, Sasuke. I'm not sure why I'm feeling like this today, but I just wanted to see you before I left. Naruto went on an ANBU mission this morning so tell him that I'm gone and I'll miss him."

She looked back up to see he was regarding her with a look of curiosity. Unfortunately, his face lacked trust.

"What aren't you telling me?"

She sighed deeply.

"I guess there is a lot I don't tell you. But today, I just wanted to see you before I left. Isn't that enough? When I'm back, lets take time off together and figure out what this is."

Sasuke nodded a little, but there was still some distrust in his dark eyes.

"It's all I can manage right now. I have other things I need to sort out for myself. Can you understand that? This is a big step, Sasuke. I guess I'm admitting that there is more here than I can dismiss as casual."

"Alright," he said, a calm smile on his face, "Alright. Be careful, and I'll see you when you get back."

Finally, Sakura felt some relief, and stepped forward ontiptoe to kiss him.

* * *

She stared at herself in her bedroom mirror acknowledging how different she looked in that black uniform, stitched in blood red. Darkly, she thought it suited her so well.

Black gloves to her elbows, red leg guards, and black arm guards made her look like something out of a nightmare. She omitted the shirt under the vest to combat the heat, and pulled the white porcelain mask down over her face.

She pressed on the silver bracelet just under the fabric and felt the hardness of it on her back.

Finally pulling herself from her inner thoughts and the turmoil they always produced, she went to her back door, slipped out, and darted away.

It would take all night to get to Mist. Who knows what would be waiting for her there.

* * *

A/N: Genshi means "apparition"

Sakura got this title for her ability to appear like a ghost or apparition, quickly and without warning and disappear just as fast. I'll explain it later when she's on her mission.

Thanks to roark28 for the fast beta, and thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'm so grateful for the support. You guys are wonderful!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I apologize that is is late and that it is in one big heap. I had considered not finishing it, but felt that Loophole needed a concrete end. I thought that this had some nice twists in it and would make a good ending for what took me quite a while to write. I was going to post it completely, but have rushed the last chapter and need to fix it up. I'm thinking a day or two for that. **

**Reviews are not necessary and I appreciate everyone who has encouraged me to continue. These next chapters are for you. **

**Thanks to roark28 for betaing everything in one shot, and icarust and wickedinnuendo for bouncing ideas and talking me through.**

Chapter 3 - Genshi

* * *

Sakura sat by the fire in the cold night air warming her bare hands by the flames. She was tired of wearing her hunter mask. The porcelain was freezing against her skin. No one had taken the masks off in the last three weeks. 

She was a Mist hunter-nin now, paid for in full.

The mission was just as bad as Kakashi had foreseen. When she arrived in Mist at a designated meeting place by the border, she found herself thrust into an inter-country group consisting of five men and herself.

Six hunters. The party consisted of a hunter each from Stone, Mist, Lightning, Grass, Sand and one from Fire. Sakura just walked in the door, saw the men and figured out what they had signed up for. Tracking other countries problems was not her favorite pastime, but things could be so much worse.

That day was three weeks ago. Tonight was just another night among the silent.

Hunter-nins didn't typically speak to one another unless it was business. Sakura didn't think she'd heard her own voice in nine days. She had to clear her throat just to whisper to herself and had never felt so utterly alone.

Three other hunters stood near the fire or sat near the tree-lined and rocky edge of the clearing they were camping in within the rogue country. Their progress had been slow, although they had managed to eliminate three targets in the first week. So far, they were only halfway to their objective and the group was getting weary. If she was lucky, they might call off the mission and go home.

The leader of their group was a tall blond from Mist. He seemed calm and resolute. Each order was carefully given and heeded with respect. Sakura could see his skill, just as everyone else could. The other ninja were capable and strong, obviously the best in their villages as the price paid for them was extravagant.

But they were also hunters, introverts, and they kept to themselves.

Sakura rubbed at her shoulder. She'd injured it minutely in the first week dealing with a particularly deviant S-class, and so she pressed chakra into the skin lightly to loosen the joint.

Orange flames danced softly by her feet, emitting cracks and pops at regular intervals. The movement of the fire was calming and Sakura felt her eyes drift out of focus.

In all the silence she had time to let her mind wander back to Konoha and to other places. Being lonely, she had time to wish for companionship. In the last week, she'd come to a couple of realizations about a few things while dwelling on what she'd left behind.

The first was missing Kakashi. Why Kakashi? She'd asked herself many times the same question. Perhaps she missed him most because he was kind and understood her, or perhaps because he was the only constant in her life. When she wanted someone to talk to, she went to him. He seemed to understand hardship and decisions better than anyone else.

The other person she couldn't stop thinking about was Itachi, which also brough hardship and decisions to mind. Had she made the right choices? What would life have been like with him?

A conclusive answer was not really feasible when it came to Itachi because becoming Akatsuki was out of the question.

She didn't like to think about him.

Her last realization was that she hadn't missed Sasuke at all, or Naruto for that matter. In the end, even if she was important to them, she could never be what they were to each other. They would marry, have children, but they would still give up everything for that bond they always alluded to. Everyone else in their lives would come second, including her.

Stretching forward, Sakura rubbed her sore feet. They'd walked for two days in complete silence among the rocks and rough ground of the rogue country. With so much time in the brush, mud, and quiet, she felt dirty and isolated.

She lifted her mask without thinking, but didn't really care if anyone saw her face. She was tired of breathing through the slits. Her body needed a break.

The leader, the tall blond Mist hunter, crouched down on the other side of the fire. He stared at her through his eye slits.

"Why did you take off your mask?"

Sakura sighed, "I'm sick of wearing it. I don't care if you see my face anymore. We've been a team for weeks and hardly anyone has conversed. I'm tired of it all." Her voice was muted from being so silent, and she'd had to clear her throat again.

The Mist hunter nodded in understanding. "Your face will be hard to forget, Fire. I understand though. I'm tired of it too."

"Call me Sakura," she added off-handedly.

"The Genshi is Sakura. You aren't what I imagined." He wandered around the fire and sat next to Sakura, sliding his own mask off his face.

Sakura took in weathered skin with a long battle scar along his right cheek and lines beside his eyes showing his age. She guessed he was about forty-five. His brown eyes looked very knowing.

"What did you imagine?" Sakura laughed, finally enjoying some conversation.

"Someone less…attractive, I suppose. I pictured you with dark hair and black eyes, pale skin maybe. Someone more evil looking, perhaps," he chuckled.

"Evil?" Sakura smirked. "No, I'm about as bright as you'll get for looks. Green and pink." She lifted the side of her head covering slightly to show her hair.

The mist-nin closed his eyes and laughed too. "What made you choose being a hunter?"

Sakura shrugged but knew the answer. It fit her so much better with her new skills as a result of her companionship with Itachi. Being a medic didn't hurt for the research they did on targets. No, it definitely seemed to fit her dark and jaded countenance of the last two years.

In the year of training with Itachi, she'd taken on some of his traits on the battlefield. Unfortunately, he never seemed to absorb any of hers, remaining the man she thought she knew, but never really did.

The Mist-nin nodded a little in acquiescence and smiled. "I should go change the scouting shifts. I'm sure we'll see some action soon, Genshi. Don't worry."

Sakura sighed and said quietly, "Please don't call me that."

* * *

Three more hours went by and Sakura wondered if she was due for a scouting shift, hating to leave her comfortable spot to wander the night. But the low sounds of a quiet argument caught her attention. 

Slowly, everyone wandered near to the two men involved. They both looked worn and bloody. Sakura looked at the Stone-nin who held up something. It was something intensely familiar.

"What's happening?" the Mist leader interrupted firmly.

The Stone-nin turned to the Mist leader and handed him a robe. "We ran into someone while scouting about an hour ago. We took care of it, but after killing him, we realized what he was wearing."

Sakura looked at the black and red article in the Mist-nin's hands.

"Damn it, you've killed an Akatsuki. Get your shit together. We need to move before they find out," the leader hissed.

"Who was it?" Sakura piped in, lifting her mask back up and pushing between the other nins.

The two scouts looked at her, taking in her face and eyes.

"Didn't you hear me? What did he look like?" She grew angry.

"He was tall. His face was half black, and half white," the Sand-nin explained.

Sakura looked at the cloak, and then turned to find her belongings. They had made a terrible mistake. Their small group was not equipped to deal with Akatsuki. Furiously tossing supplies and weapons into a pack she'd brought, Sakura stayed attuned to the surroundings. There was no way to know how much time they had left.

"Hurry up," the leader's voice carried around the area. "Three minutes."

Everyone clambered to get whatever they could for the move. The fire was doused and darkness filled the small grassy clearing among the large rocks and trees. The stars and moon seemed so much brighter overhead.

Sakura knew they wouldn't get away. With the small amount she really knew about the Akatsuki, it was assured all the Hunters would be killed in the rogue country. Her hands slowed their movements until she stopped packing all together. Gazing at the leader who looked back at her exposed face, they both knew it was too late.

In the end, it was no surprise when the warmth of chakra heated the small of her back through her vest. It was no surprise when, in the last minutes before they left, the attack came.

Six Hunters to two Akatsuki would be difficult but manageable. Six Hunters to four Akatsuki would be costly and would prevent them all from escaping. And Six Hunters to six Akatsuki would be impossible to survive.

Seven came.

Sakura slid two kunai from her leg holster. The red and black cloaks filled the small clearing, and the firsts grunts of pain came from fellow hunters. The clash of steel and the smell of ash filled the area. A tree burst into flames at the end opposite of where Sakura crouched.

Charging through the burning air and the pulling her mask back down, Sakura slipped into invisibility as Itachi had taught her. Hiding among the trees and smoke, she picked her target and planned her action. Itachi could easily find her, but he seemed to be more than occupied destroying trees at the other end with his Katon. The fight wouldn't last long now though. Some hunters were already killed, and even some Akatsuki lay among the dead.

Thankfully, Kisame was not in view either.

The man she chose was large with a strange looking face. He was bent over slightly and seemed to have a long tail like a scorpion protruding from his cloak. How she would ever be able to beat him was beyond her, but she'd start with a strike to check his defenses.

Drawing closer, she tried to put the sight of their hunter squad leader taking a sword to the chest by a short blond Akatsuki out of her mind. Realistically, none of them would live. Although she hadn't accepted it completely, it was hard to think otherwise.

Raising her kunai, she dropped from a high branch toward the Akatsuki nin, performing hand seals as she went. But just as she finished the jutsu, someone had knocked her to the ground from mid-flight, effectively dispelling her invisibility.

Her shoulder was wrenched enough to cause her extreme pain to the already painful injury. It was like he knew exactly where to hit her.

Looking up at her assailant and feebly grasping for one of the kunai she had dropped, a foot stepped on her hand. Pain reverberated up her arm and she hissed out a curse.

It was not a surprise as Sakura took in the calm face and beautiful red eyes of Uchiha Itachi. She'd almost forgotten how he looked. The impassivity was so stark on his face. In her memory, that was the look she remembered best. His lacking smiles had been so rare, and hard earned.

"I am your opponent…Genshi," he said coolly. It seemed as if he was asking her to pass the salt. His lack of emotion made her angry.

The heat of the chakra bracelet made her back wet with perspiration and she felt her resolve weaken from just hearing his voice. Thankful for the mask to hide her fear, she drew chakra to her good hand.

"Don't bother," he drawled, "I know that trick."

Taking a chance anyway, Sakura used her foot instead, creating a fissure, but only a small one with the awkward position she was in. Itachi moved back and it gave her enough time to get her kunai and to her feet.

"We weren't here for you," she said quickly, trying to sound strong, but only whispering.

"Regardless, you've made your presence an inconvenience." Itachi added smoothly, glancing around at the mayhem filling the small clearing. "We are ordered to dispose of you."

"Itachi," she said instinctively, unable to keep the emotion from her tone. His deep voice was so unnervingly relaxed that her hands shook in fear.

"No formality, Sakura-san?" He turned his head slightly, unlocking their gaze. He looked up at the sky. "Before we begin, may I ask you something?"

Sakura couldn't answer. All she could do was stare at him through her eye slits and wait for him to act. She didn't have to wait long. When he spoke again, she felt a hand on her shoulder and realized she was looking at his clone in front of her.

"I spent a year of my timeperfecting you. Should I kill you?" His breath was on her ear, and she felt the warmth of his real body along her back where they touched.

Sakura bowed her head and laughed. "I always knew you'd kill me. Somehow, I always knew."

It was then that Itachi felt a kunai at his throat and a breath of a laugh escaped him as well. It seemed more like a smirk. He was impressed at her foresight. When he looked up, she must have switched to a clone.

"Take your chance, Sakura. I won't give you a second one."

The clone Sakura had made which took the brunt of Itachi's hit disappeared, and now her real body stood behind him. The sharp kunai shook at his throat, nicking him once and making him bleed. If it stung him, he never showed it. For a few seconds they were deadlocked.

But standing there, feeling his presence so acutely, she couldn't kill him. As much as she wanted to live, she couldn't do it.

"I…can't," she breathed out to herself.

"I know," Itachi said plainly as he turned around. They regarded each other, and he used his left hand to lift her mask and toss it on the ground. "You really were a waste of my time."

A burning pain suddenly lit Sakura's side and she looked down between herself and Itachi to see the flat edge of a sword between them and his hand on the hilt two inches from her abdomen. The moon's reflection on the silver steel was slowly being washed over with blood. Her blood.

Almost immediately, the extreme pain came, and so did the cold. Grimacing and gritting her teeth, she cried out softly as he pushed the blade all the way into her body. Hot blood spilled down her front, soaking her pants and sliding between her toes through the sandals.

Her medic mind told her how to fix it. Draw chakra. Close the wound. Repair the cells. But her hands wouldn't move. The pain was at her back where the sword protruded and she felt the wet blood growing cold against her skin.

Stunned, she stared at those beautiful mangekyou until her legs gave out. Even watching her death he was cold and impregnable.

Before her knees hit the ground, his arm was around her waist pulling her against him. His cheek was against hers and he felt hot against the cold skin. There was not enough blood left in her body to warm her.

"You betrayed me by using my own techniques against me and leading hunters to my door. I cannot forgive that. It was foolish to come here. You don't have enough hate to kill me."

Sakura finally managed to move a hand as her head fell against his chest. She was still able to look at up him and he looked down at her as well. Their faces were close. Grasping feebly, she put her hand over his where he still held the sword hilt.

"Even now...I can't hate you."

Itachi's eyebrows creased just slightly, and his eyes turned black.

Whatever was happening in his mind, it didn't matter to Sakura anymore. The pain was gone.

She glanced at the stars above him and watched them until they went out.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Genshi

* * *

Tsunade leaned on her desk, keeping her back to the door. Her gaze was focused on the window and the bright sunlight glinting off the metal around the windowsill. Her throat was tight.

Kakashi sat up on the other windowsill in the same place he always did, but today he didn't want to be inside. He could feel the memorial calling him. Repeatedly, he would turn his head to look in its direction, even though he couldn't see it.

Finally the knock came that they were both waiting for. It was almost a pounding, and Kakashi knew Naruto was on the other side of the door. When the hinges creaked his entrance, two sets of feet walked in.

Tsunade couldn't turn around.

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably and waited for one of his former team to speak first. Of course it would be Naruto; he didn't have to wait long.

"Alright, old lady. Spill it. What's the urgency?" Naruto chimed, nudging Sasuke with his elbow.

Tsunade still could not turn around so Kakashi placed his feet on the floor and sighed. Both men turned their faces to him.

"Please sit," Kakashi urged.

Naruto quickly tugged a chair noisily across the floor close enough to put his feet up on Tsunade's desk. In his typical fashion, he waited with a smirk until Tsunade would turn to yell at him, but she didn't. As the moment stretched out, Naruto realized something was wrong. He gingerly placed his feet back on the floor and looked expectantly at Kakashi.

"What is it?" Sasuke finally prompted what Kakashi had been dreading.

Kakashi blinked slowly, trying to figure out how to start. "The…Genshi…I'm not sure if you've heard the rumors..."

Both men nodded and Naruto couldn't help but jump in, "I heard she was killed. Is that true? Do you need us to track the killer?"

Kakashi put his hand up. This was harder than he imagined. Heat grew at the back of his neck, and he wiped at the perspiration under the cloth. The weight in his chest seemed to be attached to a cement block dropping through the floor.

"We received word from Mist that the Genshi was killed five days ago in the Rogue Country. She was seconded to Mist to do some tracking of their S-class criminals for the last few weeks. The group she was with was attacked." Kakashi could feel his voice giving out, and knew they could hear it.

Sasuke eyed Kakashi.

"That's it then," Naruto stated obliviously, "We can leave immediately to track the killer."

"Naruto, please," Kakashi scolded gently, frustrated that he couldn't get out what he needed to say. It was hard enough without the interruptions.

Slowly, Sasuke moved to the window beside Kakashi and looked out onto the Konoha that Tsunade stared at. His former teacher's knowing gaze followed him.

"She said it was a medical trip," Sasuke said quietly.

"Hunters never disclose their occupation," Kakashi responded gently. "I'm sorry."

Naruto stood there listening and misunderstanding. Anger flared in his face realizing that there was something important, and no one was telling him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Sasuke turned to his friend and said quietly, "Why else would the four of us be together for this news. The Genshi is…was Sakura."

Seconds passed and utter silence seemed to bathe the room in electric discomfort like the calm before a storm. Naruto was dumbstruck at first, then stood slowly, took a step and grabbed the back of the chair. With a strained growl of anger, he thrust the seat against the wall, shattering the wood and smashing through the plasterboard.

Sasuke was on him immediately, pushing him against the wall and grabbing his chin to hold Naruto and make him look at him. "She wouldn't die so easily," Sasuke hissed right beside the blonde's ear, forcing immobility with his body. "Don't you believe that?"

Kakashi was on his feet. He wanted to share the same optimism as Sasuke, but he knew Sakura's small group was attacked by the Akatsuki - something not disclosed to his former pupils.

"Are you sure, Kakashi-senpai? Are you sure?" Naruto pleaded as Sasuke loosened his grip but didn't release their contact. Instead, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arm and they seemed to hold onto each other tightly. Sasuke's head fell against Naruto's shoulder.

"They found a number of bodies…destroyed at the scene. Six hunters were sent out and six hunter masks were found around the area. Her mask was found. Its not confirmed, but no one has had communication with her since the ambush five days ago. We are assuming that she is…gone."

For a moment, the two men still held on to each other for strength until Sasuke raised his head and his sharingan stared through Kakashi. "Permission to conduct an investigation."

"Sasuke. I understand how much you want her to be alive. I'd make my own bargains to have her back, but the obvious is most likely the truth." To send Sasuke out to investigate would surely bring up the Akatsuki and Itachi for him again. They didn't want him to know of the involvement. He couldn't be allowed to go…

"Granted," Tsunade finally spoke. "Report back when you know."

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi breathed out in defeat.

* * *

"_The leader wants to see you," he said._

"_Do you want me to go?" she responded._

"_We have a vacancy he needs filled. I cannot refuse, and neither can you."_

"_No."_

_The fight had been hard, and he'd cut her to prove his point. She supposed she deserved it after gashing his shoulder with a kunai, breaking his rib and knocking down a wall of his precious secure complex in her anger. _

_But as usual, he stood there impassive and blank as she left. _

"_No."_

_That simple word ended it all and caused the fight they would never recover from. In the end, Itachi stood watching as she walked away holding the cut to her abdomen and quietly crying – but not in pain. In the end, he didn't stop her, and didn't kill her. The outcome, even though she had lived, was not what she wanted._

_Realistically, they couldn't keep going the way they were going – flying in the face of their respective proprietors. Something had to give. _

_His gaze was always so cold. As she walked out of his life after a year of building trust and a connection, he didn't seem to care. _

* * *

"Am I dead?" a soft voice breathed out, waking her. Sakura fought to open her eyes, realizing that it was her own voice straining to be heard. But her eyelids were heavy and her consciousness felt dulled and hazy.

"Not quite," a deep growl of a voice answered her.

Forcing those heavy eyelids up, Sakura took in the bleak outline of a man hovering above her. Silver hair, and darkness around his chin gave her the mistaken impression it was someone she cared about.

"Kakashi?" she strained through a dry and tight throat.

The man laughed a little and responded again, "Not quite."

Trying to lift her hand, Sakura found her body uncooperative and weak. The ache in her side was pronounced and she hissed a little as she tried to move. It throbbed, and she made a noise like a mixture of protest and pain.

"Lie still. You'll re-injure yourself. Do you know where you are?" the voice asked.

Sakura let her body slack against the sheets for a moment and breathed in the pungent smell of mould and dampness mixed with the bite of medical sterility. Such a juxtaposition; she knew she wasn't in a hospital.

"No," she whispered hoarsely. Blinking slowly, and finding the focus coming gradually to her blurred gaze, she looked at a man in his mid sixties, unshaven, and missing a front tooth. He wore a short white medical coat, but it was worn and less than official.

"You lost a lot of blood and went into shock. We've been slowly healing you for five days. Do you know who _you_ are?"

"Gen…G…" she began wearily, "…Sakura."

"Do you know this man?" he added, pointing to a spot beside the bed that she couldn't see.

A deep breath in, Sakura's body tightened resulting in more pain. Forcing her eyes to roll to her right, she could see movement a few feet from the bed. She turned her head toward him and took in the unsympathetic Uchiha watching her closely. Their stares met, and she creased her brow and closed her eyes.

"Yes…" Her voice cracked. "He killed me."

Her eyes remained shut and she waited.

Footsteps let her know that Itachi had risen and she could sense him moving alongside the bed. A light touch ran from her right ankle gently up to her toe. It was such a strange sensation, to feel his fingers grazing her softly like he used to. But the last thing he said before leaving the room gave her the pain she was expecting.

"Have her ready for interrogation tomorrow night."

The door closed and she opened her eyes again to see the medic looking at her in curiosity. Surely this small woman could not be a ninja? He nodded something to himself that he kept silent and then moved to one of the two doors that were off of the room. Water soon began to run.

"What should I help you with first? Food, spongebath or toothbrush?" he asked calmly and professionally.

Sakura wondered what the man had done in his previous life before mixing with people like Itachi. She felt bad for him. He seemed nice.

Sakura finally groaned softly, "toilet."

* * *

Hours passed and Sakura became more alert. The pain was increasingly pronounced and she imagined that whatever they were giving her for relief was wearing off. Lying in the hard bed for hours gave her the opportunity to try and work a few things out. Unfortunately, none of them were helpful.

She was cold. Even with the weight of blankets, she felt the chill to her bones. Perhaps it was a slight infection to her wound or perhaps a lack of blood. Whatever it was, she found that the light shirt she wore under her ANBU vest and her panties weren't enough to keep her warm. The bandages around her mid section didn't help in the least.

The room, she decided, was some decrepit hideaway apartment that they took nondescript prisoners to before the big interrogation. The way the plaster seemed like it was crumbling in some places, and bashed in at others gave her the chills. The water stains on the ceiling fanned out in places and at least one was dripping. Pipes or rain perhaps.

The medical stranger had come and gone, cleaning her wound and administering pain medication of which she was grateful for. But now, as it had worn off, she found her body accepting some of the commands her brain was giving it.

Spurred to act, one word kept running through her head.

_Interrogation._

She had to move herself, heal herself, protect herself. It seemed that she might have a single day before Itachi would come and do what he was going to do.

Lifting her hand, and finding the effort markedly easier, Sakura drew chakra and forced some into the wound through the bandages. The cells began to be repaired; the internal damage was getting better. On inspection, she found that he'd missed almost everything major in the way of organs and vessels with his strike through her body. Small favors.

After five minutes she could do no more. A good start, she would try to work on it every hour. Perhaps, by tomorrow night, she could at least have a fighting chance.

The "medic" had come back to see her in the small hours and tended to her wound again. He cleaned her up with a light sponge bath and helped her to the bathroom again for other things she needed to do, remarking that she seemed much better. A toothbrush was mercifully given to her with a small bowl of water, after she'd devoured a pot of oatmeal.

The sheets were changed while she sat in the two inches of water he'd allowed in the tub, and when she was lifted back to bed, she fell almost immediately to sleep. It was a short-lived rest, but she dreamt of being in her own bed in Konoha.

She managed to wake as the sun crept in the dirty windows above her to begin working on her wound again. She only had the day to get prepared.

* * *

Door hinges creaked and woke Sakura from a sleep she hadn't known she'd fallen into. Her body was better. Each hour, or at least what she believed to be each hour, she'd pushed what little chakra she could into her wound, stitching the cells and healing the damage. But it wasn't complete, and it wasn't enough to stand any chance against him. Getting out of the blankets would be a monumental effort. Perhaps adrenaline would be kind to her.

Itachi stood at the foot of the bed, the same blunt stare he usually had. An urge to roll out of bed and take a defensive stance was suppressed by the throb at Sakura's side. She'd never survive the first hit with him - not in her current state.

For a long time, he just stood there. His black hair was tied as usual, and the front was longer than she remembered. No headband on his forehead, and he wore no cloak to mark him as part of a detestable group of criminals. Itachi was just Itachi right now, and that scared her even more.

His black t-shirt hugged his slender torso, and his dark pants hung loosely and comfortably underneath the hem. His arms crossed over his chest and he leaned against the wall for a moment surveying his victim.

"Is it time?" she asked coolly, stifling all the emotions that took over in his presence.

Itachi bowed slightly and closed his eyes once for just a second. When he opened them, they were red. Immediately, Sakura averted her gaze. Their trust was gone.

"I'll ask a question. You'll respond truthfully."

His voice could cut right through her composure.

Sakura swallowed hard and nodded, not taking her eyes from the silver necklace at his throat.

"Who were you looking for?" he began in his smooth muted tone.

"S-class defectors from Mist."

"Why Leaf?"

"The Genshi was seconded to Mist to help track. Akatsuki was not on our list." Sakura glanced at his sharingan. She watched them run along the shape of her body under the covers and she twitched her leg slightly when she tensed.

With each question, he moved closer to her.

"Who have you told about my complex?"

"No one."

Itachi paused. "No one?"

"No one." In this, she was firm. Yes, she'd told Kakashi and her two teammates about their deal years ago, but she never said she knew where to find him. Even now, the idea of disclosing their meeting place seemed ridiculous. She'd never betray him like that. Even with impending death at his hands, she couldn't betray him.

"Your comrades killed one of our members. Two more were killed in the ambush. We have eliminated your whole party."

"I know. They didn't deserve it," she mumbled angrily, "Why am I still alive, Itachi?" Sakura asked, finding some strength in her tone. Thank goodness for the fire that would light inside when she felt indignation. Many times in her life it had saved her.

"I need to know if you betrayed me, Sakura. Nothing more."

"I'd never betray you. I couldn't even kill you to save my own life," she spat back filling with anger at his indifferent tone.

"So I see."

"All that time we knew each other I never imagined you'd think I could send ninja to your complex. You think I want you dead? You never knew me." She pushed herself up from the pillow and attempted to sit as he got closer to her bedside. The moment was coming.

Itachi tilted his head slightly. "Your chakra is depleted somewhat. You've been healing yourself. I know you better than you think."

Sakura sat up and shifted the blankets as she scooted to the opposite side of the bed from him. But as she moved, his hand reached down and tugged the blankets away to toss them on the floor. His eyes moved over her half-clothed body again, and it filled her with suppressed rage.

"I'm so sick of your cold exterior! I'm so sick of how you hide everything until you want something from me," she shouted now, managing to stand up on the opposite side of the bed, but grasping the wall for balance. The pain was excruciating. "And why did you try to kill me but then keep me alive?"

Itachi seemed to dip his head a little, and his red eyes caught hers. But Sakura met them with fury. He'd tell her what she wanted to know, or she'd go down fighting. She wasn't taught to give up.

"I attacked you because I was ordered to. The Genshi has been on our elimination list since she first became known."

"List?" Sakura echoed and looked down momentarily. When she looked up, he was right in front of her and she gasped before his hands pushed her firmly against the wall.

His fingers were warm. Her breath was heavy as she stared into his sharingan.

"Why wouldn't the Akatsuki eliminate those they saw as threats? Your hunter squad was successful in cutting our numbers." Itachi's voice was quiet as he leaned closer to her. His breath tickled her cheek and she shook in his hold. "When you left two years ago, the leader also put you on the list."

"Why would the Genshi and I both be on the…" Sakura stopped. Her brow creased. "You didn't tell them it was me."

"We are a group of individuals, Sakura. I do what suits me. Kisame would not betray me so it stayed between us."

"So why am I alive? Why didn't you kill me for your precious Akatsuki? I know you are capable. Killing me would be easy for you." Her eyes burned with her fight not to cry. Useless body, she thought angrily. Her emotions were always her weakness.

Itachi's body was near to hers and warm on her cold skin. His hands held her tightly as his cheek grazed hers. His mouth was right beside her ear. If he wasn't holding her up, she was sure she would fall. Her legs were weak from his touch.

"Interrogation is necessary to assess future threats. I know you understand this…Genshi. I had to be sure that you posed no more danger to me." His breath was warm on the shell of her ear. She swore his lips touched her earlobe. His voice was deep and even. Emotionless. Stating facts.

"Interrogation," she hissed. "I'm ready, Itachi. Shall we start with the sharingan? Physical torture?" Her voice showed her obvious lack of stability as she cried. Her body trembled with mixed anger and fear.

Leaning back just enough to see her face, Itachi released her arm and moved his thumb to wipe one of her tears from her face. Darkly he remarked, "Is this not torture enough?"

This time, her knees gave out and he pulled her against him firmly before lifting her to the bed and lying her down.

"Your wounds will be healed in a day or two. Go back to Konoha and be the good girl you want them to think you are. If you come near the Akatsuki again, they'll kill you. You are a valuable target."

"You mean you'll kill me," she corrected.

Itachi looked at her for a long moment then moved to sit down on the bed. Placing hands on each side of her, he leaned close to her face and his eyes changed to mangekyou.

In his muted voice, even and serious he told her, "You are incorrect. I would not find killing you easy, Sakura."

His crimson gaze paused at her mouth and traced the line of her jaw. He looked like he was inspecting her for some dark purpose. But Sakura knew when he paused, or his inflection was less than cold, his mind was working.

And he never lied.

Finally, the mangekyou met her eyes and they stared at each other for a moment. His face held no anger or emotion whatsoever, but his eyes turned black again.

"You will wake in two days. Heal your wounds and go home."

Sakura lifted her hand to his face and he allowed it. "Why didn't you kill me?"

Itachi didn't answer. Rather, he seemed to ignore the question. Instead, he closed his eyes for a second and then revealed the mangekyou again. "Next time, finish your opponent."

"You won't ask me to stay with you this time?" she whispered as his hand came up and removed hers from his face.

"Not this time." Itachi creased his brow a little and Sakura recognized that he was preparing to use his eyes on her. She took a deep breath in and stared back, making it easy for him.

Before she saw the spin of his irises indicating the chakra molding, he breathed out softly, "You could never have been Akatsuki."

Sakura smiled softly, sadly. It had all gone wrong and now he would slip out of her life forever. How had she made so many choices that all pointed toward ruin. Run home, run back to Konoha and live the shell of a life that could one day be worthwhile. She would have to believe that to make it through her days.

Up to now, she had convinced herself that being a hunter and having a less than fulfilling tryst with Sasuke was the answer. Now she could never argue that properly in her head again.

As his eyes began to spin, dragging her from consciousness, she breathed out softly, "Itachi…please."

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Genshi

* * *

The wash of morning through the filthy windows woke Sakura and she felt markedly better than when she fell asleep. For a moment she just lay still in the dirty apartment in the old bed that Itachi had left her in. Stretching each muscle and joint, she believed that it wouldn't take long before she was able to get moving back to Konoha. Kakashi and Tsunade would be beside themselves with worry. 

Perhaps they thought she was dead.

Finding sitting up a lot easier, Sakura grunted with the small effort but was pleased with the increased comfort of her side. The chakra treatments had helped, as had a good sleep. Taking a look around, she saw her clothes folded neatly on the end of the bed. Then she gasped when an unmoving figure across the room caught her attention.

But then again, no one could expect a six-foot shark with a seven-foot sword to be at the foot of the bed.

"Good morning, kunoichi." Kisame's gravelly voice filled the room.

He sat almost casually against the wall beside the door. His arms draped over his cloaked knees and his sword leaned on the wall behind him. It was something strange to wake up to.

But if seeing Kisame reclining there was a shock, then his first question was enough to stop her heart.

"Where is Itachi, Sakura?"

The room fell silent, and Sakura felt her skin tingle in warning. A gaze as piercing as the one he was currently wearing was seldom used for no reason.

Sakura raised her thumbnail to her teeth and chewed lightly on it.

"Why don't you know?" she finally asked timidly. Her throat was dry again and her body felt tired from the lack of movement over the last few days. But her interest encapsulated everything else at that moment.

Kisame laughed a little. "How long has it been since he left you here?"

"How do you know he was here?"

"His bloodied cloak is in the bathroom. Before he left, what did he tell you?" Kisame half laughed in clear and dark amusement. His cloak fell open and he stretched his legs out.

"He told me I was on a list. Are you here to collect on that? Why are you looking for him?"

"I would kill you, kunoichi, but I'm too fond of you now. It would be like killing a pet."

"Lovely," she scoffed.

"I'm on a new mission from our leader. He needs to see Itachi. We are finding him…unavailable at the moment." Kisame's face grew serious and Sakura understood. This was not a social call. This was not a check-in.

"What has he done?" she whispered.

"Well, you already know, don't you," Kisame continued. "They know you're alive despite the pain and effort to conceal it, Sakura. They are looking for you both. Itachi defied orders to kill you. We never defy orders. All the remaining members are looking for him…and you."

"Damn it. I don't know where he went. When he stabbed me, I thought he really did want to kill me."

Although it wasn't a great shock that Itachi kept this secret from her, it surprised her to see that he had chosen her survival over the Akatsuki. He'd kept her alive against the directive of his leader and now he was in danger for it.

"We are a group of individuals," Kisame recalled Itachi's words. "It appears the Akatsuki doesn't suit him any longer."

"What will they do to him when they catch him?" Sakura's voice was wavering and her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest. Adrenaline warmed her skin. Outwardly, she tried to remain calm and collected; it was a gift of hers.

Kisame just raised his eyebrows as his mouth turned into a grim line.

Sakura understood.

"Are you going to kill him, Kisame?" Sakura mumbled, realizing that the man in the red and black coat was part of the killers looking for him.

"I can't kill Itachi."

"You've known each other a long time. I understand."

"No. I meant I would be unable to kill Itachi. Only the leader would have enough power to do that. But eventually, he will be eliminated just like you will."

Sakura turned her gaze to a large crack in the plaster. Everything seemed to be caving in around her and her eyes closed to stop the spin of the room.

"You'd better get moving, Sakura. I saw the kyuubi boy and the younger Uchiha two hours ago. They came to investigate your death. I'm certain that they'll know you're alive soon. Hurry to catch them so they can take you home."

"Naruto and Sasuke? Did Kakashi come?"

"The other sharingan user isn't there. It won't be long before they find you though. We are only an hour from that site."

"Damn it. I can't let them find me yet."

Ignoring her previous remark, Kisame smirked, "You ruined a year of my life."

"I'm sorry?" Sakura pulled out of her inner planning to raise an eyebrow at Kisame.

"There was no living with him after you left. He was…unusually cruel and short-tempered. He never wanted to take you to the Akatsuki leader, but when they insist, you cannot refuse. If he hadn't fought with you, you would have returned to the complex again someday."

"I didn't know I was on your kill list. And yes, I would have come back had we not fought."

"They knew you existed. They allowed Itachi to keep you for a while. He reasoned that given enough time, he could recruit you. He proved that you were useful and valuable. It kept you alive."

Sakura rubbed at her forehead. There was so much that he never told her. Uchiha Itachi was an unreadable creature with hidden motives. It baffled and awed her. There was something in him that made him protect her, and now she knew. Perhaps he couldn't feel love or caring, so he confused it with usefulness and necessity in his life. But he felt something.

Given time, maybe could she have helped him to understand it all? She supposed he wouldn't try. But had circumstances been different - had she met him in Konoha as colleagues - they could have stood a chance.

"Will you come with me?" Sakura finally blurted out.

"To where?"

"I can track him. I need to…do something. The Akatsuki are tracking him and Sasuke and Naruto are tracking me. I need your speed and strength to find him and avoid the others."

Kisame smirked. "You want to go watch him die?"

Sakura fought the burn of crying in her eyes. "Perhaps."

* * *

Naruto stood on the roof of a crumbling two-story walk-up apartment building in a filthy town in the rogue country. He hated waiting outside, but the Uchiha insisted that he go alone. They'd found the site where she'd supposedly been killed, and they also found her blood trail leading that way. 

Upon investigation, they discovered a witness who had seen a man in a red and black cloak covered in blood a few days before carrying what looked like a body. Following the trail had been hard, but finding the witness had been only too easy.

Now, using jutsu and ANBU techniques to track her, they were afraid they'd be retrieving a body from the building below them.

Naruto crouched down and felt his heart pounding in his chest. "Please be alive," he whispered as a mantra over and over.

Sasuke descended the stairs, and using his sharingan to detect any presence inside the upper floor apartment, he found it empty. Kicking in the door, his black eyes confirmed it.

He could smell blood and sweat and her scent. The bed was tousled and there were bloodstains on it. The bathroom revealed a bloodstained but dry Akatsuki cloak. Blood and a large handprint on the wall told him more than he wanted to know.

Sakura was alive, but she was gone. What had happened? Why had Itachi kept her alive and spent time with her here?

Itachi didn't keep people alive for no reason. It wasn't sitting well with Sasuke and he found his pulse racing. He wasn't sure how she could explain it all away, but he'd find her and make her.

* * *

Darting through the rocky terrain and dank forest of the rogue Country, Sakura picked up Itachi's trail after an hour of searching. Really, it seemed like he hadn't gone far at all. 

Kisame remarked that it almost seemed like Itachi had wanted to get caught.

Sakura figured out by talking with Kisame that she had been asleep six hours since Itachi left the night before. The morning dew was still on the grass and leaves but his trail was still fresh.

"They're getting closer," Kisame remarked.

Sakura knew that he meant Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto would be able to smell her now. Sasuke would be livid if he found the apartment where she recuperated. If they tracked her here, surely they had been there.

"So is he," Sakura responded, sensing the chakra bracelet tingling at her back through the vest. She pressed her hand over it, feeling the warmth against her skin. Itachi had to be very close now and he would certainly know she was there as well.

"I'm sensing someone else in the area too," Kisame said as he stopped and slipped behind a tree. "I can't be caught with you, kunoichi. I apologize if I have to kill you."

Sakura nodded and breathed out. "Apology accepted. Is it Akatsuki?"

"Most likely. I'll try to sidetrack them for ten minutes. But I won't risk myself for you."

"I understand."

Just like that, Kisame was gone in a blur of speed. Sakura actually felt her long hair blow with his swift momentum.

She continued on for a few more minutes using a bit more caution but no less speed. The bracelet still glowed through the vest and she pulled a kunai from her holster. Someone was close. The tingle in her body warned her that she would be fighting soon. She slipped into her Hunter skin as if it were innate.

Senses pricked, breathing slowed. This is what she trained for.

Something to her left caught her attention, but it was too quick to avoid. Sakura rolled with the strike of a kunai on her left shoulder blade. She made a soft sound of pain, slapping her hand over the wound and pushing in chakra. The quick spin she used to avoid a major slash made her side bleed again. Still, the cut was deep enough to use a lot of her energy to heal.

Crouching in the small clearing, she steadied her hand for the next hit. Whoever it was, they were faster than she could track. It would only be too easy for them to kill her in the shape she was in.

"Come on," she growled softly.

Another lunge toward her, and Sakura darted sideways, kunai up. She managed to get a strike in before the man knocked her down and landed on top of her.

His red eyes stared into hers.

"Why are you attacking me?" Sakura panted in shock from below him. She stared up at Itachi's face half hidden beneath the stark black hair and scratched out headband.

"Because you won't attack me," Itachi responded quietly, flicking at her vest strap with his kunai. "Akatsuki are here. If I kill you, their pursuit of me will be over."

"You'll do anything to save yourself, won't you. I won't be so easy to kill."

"I can kill you now, Sakura. You've put up a pathetic fight."

"You said it would be difficult to kill me."

"Difficult, yes. Not impossible. And you lack the ability to kill me."

Sakura gritted her teeth and growled in frustration at howblank he was. A chakra signature in the trees nearby caught their attention for just a second and gave her enough time to use a jutsu to escape. She disappeared from under him and ran quickly through the trees. But he wouldn't be more than a few seconds behind.

Another blur of movement caught her right thigh, opening up a gash deep enough to need stitches.

_My blood must be all over his kunai now. Perhaps it would be easier to catch him with a little help._

Slipping Kakashi's fanged vengeance scroll from her pack, she performed the intricate jutsu as quickly as possible. Using blood from her thigh, she wiped it along the open scroll and then let it snap shut.

It was a perfect weapon for surprise attacks. If a target stood still long enough, the dogs that were summoned by the scroll would snag the assailant in their teeth, holding him still for the killing blow. She hated to use it on Itachi, but she had to immobilize him before he did something that she couldn't repair.

Very quietly, Sakura waited for any sounds. Movement again on her left prompted her to jump out of the way, but she managed to strike him with a shuriken.

For a second, there was no movement. The shuriken hit must have paused his attack momentarily, and when she heard the tell tale growls of Kakashi's dogs, she knew his delay in acting was long enough.

Moving through the branches, Sakura stopped, sensing someone behind her. Naruto was right there, coming quickly toward her. Sasuke's signature wasn't close enough to sense so she believed Naruto must have moved ahead or they split up. She didn't have long before he'd be on top of her.

Slipping a kunai out of her pouch, she leapt forward through the dense trees only to stop an inch from Itachi's chest. Sakura's hand shook as her body locked in place. Itachi's sharingan stared at the steel blade in her hand.

"Don't hesitate, Sakura," he said evenly. "If you don't kill me, I'll kill you. And when the kyuubi gets here, I'll kill him as well."

"I…don't…want to kill you," Sakura blurted angrily, pain mixed in.

"Sakura!" Naruto's voice called from a few yards away as the rustle of trees presented him to them. "What are you doing?" His voice was fearful.

Sakura didn't turn around. Rather she stared into Itachi's sharingan, holding the weapon higher but unable to strike.

"Why…does it have to end like this?" she whispered. Unable to stop the tears, it was futile to even try. Her vision blurred, mouth trembled.

Itachi closed his eyes, "You understand why. There are no other options."

Sakura continued to shake, her hand loosening on the kunai. "St…stay there, Naruto," she said weakly.

Itachi looked at Naruto, then at Sakura before he flinched hard, shaking Sakura from her emotional stupor. She took a step back, but before she could stop him, Itachi had dispelled Kakashi's fanged vengeance jutsu and the dogs disappeared. She never thought it would be possible, but he had done it.

The blur of movement shot past her and Sakura knew instinctively what was happening. Her body moved as well.

Naruto crouched, sensing the attack coming upon him. Lifting an ANBU sword, he steadied himself to defend against Itachi.

A silent second passed, then the shape of a figure stopped directly in front of him. Naruto swung down but stopped inches away from his target.

He lowered his sword when he realized that Itachi had appeared to attack, and Sakura had beaten him. Now she stood between the two men. Sakura's speed was amazing, but what shocked Naruto into silence was the blood dripping from the kunai that Sakura had plunged into Itachi's chest.

For Sakura, the world stopped.

As the strike hit home, and Itachi's eyes widened, Sakura sensed Sasuke had come up to stop a few feet from them.

It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Sasuke could kill her now to put her out of her misery and it would be a favor.

Warm blood slid over her fingers as she refused to let the kunai go.

Itachi grimaced with pain, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His body hitched once and Sakura's hand went to his shoulder to steady him.

Finally, Itachi's shaking legs gave out and he fell onto his knees. Still refusing to let the weapon go, Sakura fell to her knees in front of him, and the crying began. It was silent at first, the tears slipping down to her chin. But after a moment she made a noise of pain through her gritted teeth. Wracked with grief, her shoulders shook with each desperate breath between sobs.

For as long as he could, Itachi watched her eyes. He made no declarations and no pleads to save his life. There was nothing in his gaze that told her he was sorry that things had happened that way. He just watched her as if she were the last thing he wanted to see before he left the world.

Raising the hand that did not hold the weapon, Sakura drew healing chakra, nearing the wound.

Itachi's weak hand grabbed her fingers and held them from his body.

"Let this happen," he whispered. His voice was wet with blood and he coughed lightly, spattering her shirt.

Everyone in the area was stunned. From the corner of his eye, Naruto could see two Akatsuki cloaks high in the trees. They might be in for a fight now that Sakura had killed one of theirs. His body tingled with alertness, but his mind was in shock at seeing what was unfolding before him.

Itachi's partner, Kisame, had appeared at the foot of the same trees as the others and he watched with curiosity. It seemed to Naruto that there was no attachment among the killers. He seemed to merely be observing.

Sakura finally removed her hand from the kunai and brought it up to Itachi's face. He began to strain more under her touch, the colour draining from his face. A streak of blood was left on his pallid skin from her fingers.

As his eyes fixed on nothing, Itachi fell forward, his head nestling on her shoulder. Gently, but with effort, Sakura gradually lowered him to the hard dew-covered ground. When she sat back up to look at him, Itachi's dark eyes stared up at nothing.

"Itachi…" Sakura sobbed softly, leaning over the limp form of her former lover.

"It was supposed to be _me_!" Sasuke shouted angrily behind her, shaking her back to the situation.

Not even attempting to hide her pain, she turned her face away, tear streaked and blood covered.

"He's dead," she said evenly. "It doesn't matter who killed him."

Sasuke's now lit sharingan trailed her blood covered body and her pale trembling hands. He looked at the man lying unmoving in front of her and it infuriated him. He stared at the one who had once been called _brother_ and the reality of his death left Sasuke unraveled. Only another Uchiha should have been able to properly take Itachi's life and avenge the clan, not a Hunter who was crying over the body of his parents' killer.

Sasuke let a low feral growl escape him, clenching his fists.

Sakura stood up and took three cautious steps toward Sasuke when he suddenly lashed out and punched her in the face. She fell with the impact, feeling her jaw wrench and pain burst through her eye socket. But it effectively stopped her tears.

Listlessness filled her tired limbs as she just lay there hoping he'd beat her to unconsciousness.

Sasuke leaned over her, his face full of anger, twisting his hand in her vest to lift her toward him. Sakura just lay limp in his grasp keeping her eyes locked on his face, but careful to avoid the sharingan.

A screeching sound filled the air suddenly and Sakura saw that Sasuke had lit a chidori in his right hand. She grasped at the hand that still held her vest, suddenly fearing he would actually kill her. The look in his eyes told her that he was serious and that there could be two bodies in that clearing momentarily.

"Naruto!" she called out frantically.

But Naruto was already there, grasping the chakra-lit hand Sasuke held above her. Naruto's other hand wrapped around Sasuke's shoulders, pulling him hard from Sakura and tossing him to the ground. He held him there with his body even though Sasuke struggled hard to get back up.

"Get a hold of yourself. What the hell are you doing? Akatsuki are here. We need to fight!"

Naruto managed to still Sasuke and nod his head toward the trees. Reluctantly, Sasuke followed Naruto's indication but didn't see anything worth looking at. Two of the Akatsuki watching had left, and only Kisame remained. The fear died from the air, but the two ANBU waited with caution.

Sensing that the moment had come, the tall shark man slowly pushed up from the tree he leaned on to walk over to Itachi before nudging him with his foot. The prone form shifted sickly with the push of Kisame's sandal and Sakura closed her eyes. It took some effort to calm down.

Kisame looked at Sakura who managed to sit up and press her fingers to her mouth where Sasuke had slugged her. She stared dully as Kisame bowed and finally disappeared with his partner's body.

"We have to leave," Naruto said a little more forcefully, breaking everyone out of the anticipation they all felt while watching the tree lines for enemies. His grip loosed on his friend for a moment and he regretted it the instant Sasuke moved.

The Uchiha lunged at Sakura once again.

Naruto grabbed Sasuke and wrenched him to the grass, effectively putting ten feet between his teammates. "We are leaving..._now_!" he growled out in a voice darker than his own.

Sakura slowly looked back to where Itachi's body had been.

Sasuke got up, nodding at Naruto to show he'd managed composure and began to walk away. Sakura could faintly hear him with his back turned, but his words cut through her.

"I'll _never_ forgive you."

* * *

One more. 


	6. Chapter 6

Genshi 6 – end.

* * *

They trudged back to the Fire Country slowly, Sasuke meters and meters ahead, and Naruto alongside Sakura. For the last part of the journey, Naruto actually carried Sakura on his back after she fell unconscious from exhaustion and whatever else was happening in her body. 

When she woke up, she was in a bed in the Konoha hospital, hooked to machines and watched closely by Tsunade.

The sheet felt cool on her body, and the air smelled of sterility and cleanser. The machine beside her hummed and clicked in time with her heartbeat.

Her eyes were tired and glazed and she had to actually convince herself to open them up. Kakashi and Tsunade stood at the windows speaking quietly until she groaned softly with an attempt to sit up. The Hokage moved to the bed, but Kakashi remained by the windows. He stared at her and his face was unreadable.

"Sakura, are you in pain?" Tsunade whispered as she pressed her hand over Sakura's. The blond leaned over the bedrail and lifted one of Sakura's eyelids and gazed at it.

"Shishou. I'm sorry I worried you. I'm all right." Sakura's voice was soft and her throat was dry. She tried to sit up a little but Tsunade's hand on her shoulder kept her still.

Kakashi took in a deep breath of relief and turned his face to the rain covered Konoha outside the windows. It was dark but he watched anyway. It made Sakura wonder how long she'd been asleep.

"You've been through a lot, Sakura. Just lie still," Tsunade said quietly.

"I think I'm okay. I just feel weak. Chakra drain and my injury."

"Yes, did you know that your liver was damaged? It's lucky that we got you back when we did. Was it a sword puncture, Sakura?"

Sakura turned her head away from her teacher for a moment and focused on the machine next to her. The red light flashed slowly and she closed her eyes to it. "Yes. Uchiha Itachi's sword."

"We understand you killed him. Naruto told us. I can't believe your mission involved the Akatsuki. I wouldn't have sent you if I had known," Tsunade said angrily, but still soft against the hospital backdrop.

Sakura sighed and responded in the same strained tone. "The hunter mission was just to track S-class misfits from Mist. The Akatsuki was just an unfortunate slip-up. Two of the Hunters killed one of the Akatsuki and the retaliation was almost immediate."

"That's unfortunate indeed," Tsunade continued, "Your injury was severe. How did you survive the attack?"

"Tsunade-sama, perhaps we should let Sakura continue to rest," Kakashi piped in, walking closer to the Hokage who was looking at Sakura with a mixture of concern and minute suspicion.

"It's alright, Kakashi. I want to tell." Sakura reached feebly over to a bedside table and grabbed some water there for when she woke up. It was warm and stale.

"Uchiha Itachi and I have a prior acquaintance, as you know. He realized it was I in the hunter uniform and took me to some safe house for questioning. He left and I pursued him. Naruto and Sasuke found me when I caught him." Sakura took a deep breath and managed to keep emotion out of her voice. Stay clinical, she told herself. Stay cold.

The entire walk back while she was conscious, she worked on how she would present the facts. There would be no getting out of questioning this time.

"Why did he want to question you? Keeping people alive is something out of character for that killer."

"He wanted to know how much we knew. I really can't comment on what someone like him was thinking. He was the one who put the sword through my side, and gashed my shoulder and thigh before I killed him."

"Tsunade-sama. Why not let her rest and then tomorrow she can come to your office. We can continue then," Kakashi reiterated and this time Tsunade nodded in agreement, although reluctantly.

"Kakashi is right. You should rest. Come to my office tomorrow at noon. I'll make sure Naruto and Sasuke are there as well and we'll go through your reports."

Sakura's chest tightened thinking of Sasuke. The entire way back, he didn't turn his head in her direction. Obviously Naruto had stayed with her partly to help, but more for protection. She'd stolen the moment that Sasuke had worked his whole young life to achieve. Now he was left with an empty hole where that accomplishment should be.

Sakura had created that hole.

She touched her cheek and pushed some chakra into the bruise on her jaw. She didn't blame him one bit.

Sighing and finding her body craving more sleep, she closed her eyes and wished to go forward three months to skip all the trouble coming her way.

* * *

It continued to rain throughout the night to end around sunrise. The patter on the windows of the hospital was relaxing but it kept Sakura awake in the small hours of the morning. The temptation to confess everything to Tsunade was there, skimming the surface of her thoughts. But that wouldn't accomplish anything now. It bothered her while hours ticked away but she knew it was nothing she reveal.

Kakashi had obviously wanted to give her time to work out her story. He knew of the deal made years ago and he forgave her. But Kakashi didn't control the Hunters or the ANBU. They would not be so forgiving. Tsunade would not be so forgiving. Sakura knew her too well for that.

In the early morning before Konoha really woke up, Sakura went home and entered her small apartment to find the plants dead and the air smelling like dust. She lay on her bed and watched the clock. The entire time, she went over her mission report. Brief and to the point was best. Like her academy valedictorian speech, she rehearsed it until it was memorized.

Slipping on a t-shirt and some jeans when her alarm alerted her it was time to go, she wandered slowly to the Hokage Tower. Nothing made her anxiety worse than knowing in a few minutes she would have to face Sasuke.

The streets were filled with people smiling and nodding to her as she passed. Life was so normal for them today. Didn't they know what she had just done? She'd just plunged a kunai through the chest of the man she loved. Couldn't they understand she didn't want their smiles today?

"Sakura," Naruto's voice came from behind her, and it was a calmer sound than she'd ever heard from him. "You okay?"

She turned and forced a smile for him and he accepted it as he always accepted things from her. "I'm okay." Sakura nodded as Naruto slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tightly to him. He smiled widely even though his tone didn't agree with it.

"So…you were the Genshi, huh? Didn't know you kicked ass so hard," he laughed and immediately the mood lightened. Thank goodness she had such a good friend.

"I _was_. The Genshi is dead now and I'm happy to let her go." Sakura smiled back and Naruto's shoulders seemed to lose some of their tension.

"Come on." He touched his forehead to hers. "I'll walk you up. Don't worry. Kakashi and I will be there for you no matter what happens."

"I know you will." She smiled and it was content. She didn't deserve him.

* * *

They wandered up the winding stairs together and entered the offices of the Hokage. Tsunade sat behind her large desk and Kakashi was at his usual perch on the windowsill. What shocked her was that Ibiki was there also. As her commander on the Hunter-nin squad, he would have to be, she supposed. 

Standing quietly at the other side of the room, Sasuke didn't look at her when she came in. It was just as well. Sakura knew he was going to need a great deal of time to get over what happened. No one could hold anger like Sasuke.

"How are you feeling, Sakura?" Kakashi asked calmly.

Sakura nodded and smiled, but didn't answer. The general feeling in the office was of tension even though everyone seemed relieved to have her up and around. Well, almost everyone.

"Sakura, Morino Ibiki requested to be here as well. We are ready to hear your report. Please elaborate on what you began to tell me yesterday," Tsunade said calmly, folding her fingers together on the papers in front of her.

Ibiki walked forward and moved a chair into the centre of the room, motioning for Sakura to sit. No one ever refused Ibiki. Strangely, Sakura felt like it was more an interrogation than a mission report, especially with the present company in the room.

She sat down and put her hands on her knees. Glancing over, she could see Kakashi watching intently.

"Yes ma'am," Sakura began as she turned back to her shishou, "As you know, I joined the Mist squad after being requested and seconded a number of weeks ago. With that group, I tracked about half of the criminals ona list given to us. We camped in the rogue country and two scouts ran across an Akatsuki member. They disposed of him and when the commander of our squad realized what had happened, we tried to leave."

Sasuke's head rose and he stared through her. Naruto wasn't interfering, but his hand was warm on her shoulder in a reinforcing gesture. She was glad for it.

"The Akatsuki attacked and the Uchiha fought with me. He ran me through with a sword and I lost consciousness from pain and blood loss. When I awoke, I found myself in an apartment in a small village. A man was healing me a little bit, but nothing to your caliber, Shishou. Itachi…the Uchiha came to the room and asked me some questions on what we knew about him and the Akatsuki. Then he left. I pursued him and then killed him. I assume Naruto has briefed you on the fight with Itachi."

"That's it?" Ibiki began and her head snapped in his direction. Sakura's hair stood on end at the sound of his voice. He was the last person she wanted to be questioned by.

"No its not," Sasuke interrupted, standing up from his lean against the wall. "Why don't you start at the beginning?"

All eyes turned to Sasuke as he held a look of disdain and dark anticipation. "Tell them about the first time you disappeared, Sakura."

"Sasuke, that's enough," Kakashi growled softly. But it was too late; he already knew that.

"What are you talking about?" Tsunade asked Sasuke. Her eyes moved back and forth from Kakashi to Sakura then back to Sasuke.

"She healed Itachi's eyes in exchange for help getting me back. She instigated the deal and made him a better killer for her own gains. She helped an S-class criminal to suit herself. Isn't that right, Sakura?"

Uncontrollably,Sakura'sgaze widened. She could feel the look of shock on her face but there was no way to stop it. Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "I did it for you," she said quietly.

Tsunade's mouth had dropped open and Kakashi had protectively moved closer to Sakura. Ibiki crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the kunoichi. If Ibiki was one thing, it was intimidating.

Sakura could feel the beads of perspiration trailing their way down her spine. The intensity in the room was almost tangible and she clenched her hands, digging her nails into her skin to keep composure.

"She was young, Hokage-sama. She knows it was a mistake. The Uchiha is gone now," Kakashi placated.

"I…can't believe you would do that, Sakura. And you knew about this, Kakashi?" Tsunade was affronted and shocked. "I can't even think of what to say. Naruto knows?"

Naruto nodded a little, but held firm to Sakura's shoulder. No matter what, he'd stand by her.

Ibiki stepped forward finally. "Hokage-sama, I think we should confer about this before we continue." His deep voice cut through the anger and shock in the room and all eyes snapped to him.

"Of course," Tsunade said, still unable to wrap her head around what was happening. She looked ready to cry or break something, a bad combination for such a strong person.

Ibiki continued, taking the reins as Tsunade was unable to. "Kakashi, will you take her to the upper level and wait there while we talk here. We'll send Naruto to get you when we're ready to continue. Sasuke can wait outside…but Naruto stays."

Kakashi nodded and looked at Sakura. In turn, she bit her lip and allowed him to grasp her elbow and help her out of the chair to the door. Before she stepped out, she could see a strange look on Sasuke's face. It wasn't one of triumph, butperhaps regret.

The door slammed shut as they crossed the threshold, and Sakura took a deep cleansing breath when they reached the rooftop of the tower. The air was crisp with morning sun but still smelled like rain.

"It doesn't look good, Sakura," Kakashi said quietly, tugging down his mask. "I really didn't think he'd say that." He leaned on the ledge of the tower, one foot up, his arm over his thigh. His gaze traced Konoha and the faces of the monument. He stared at the visage of the fourth.

"I didn't think he'd do that to me. But he's angry. It'll take time for him to forgive me…if he ever does." Sakura sat down on the ledge and looked at the copy-nin's tired eye.

They regarded each other for a moment. Silence had always been comfortable between them.

"I don't know if I can protect you this time," Kakashi said sadly.

"Kakashi," shewhispered with emotion, "I know you would if you could. I really don't expect you to. I feel like I should regret my choices, but I don't. I would do all the same things again," Sakura said quietly. "I hope you can forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive. That's good that you don't regret it. Regret can be painful."

"You say that like you understand it, Senpai." Sakura's eyes studied the small downward tug of one corner of Kakashi's mouth. He closed his visible eye and then opened it to look at her.

"I chose ANBU years ago over someone I cared about. When I returned, she'd been killed. I regret that. If you did what you believe was right and you don't regret it, then be content with that. I always wondered what happiness I'd given up."

Sakura was silenced with Kakashi's admission. She knew it was probably hard for him to tell her something so personal. Kakashi was never someone to disclose things he held so close, even to her.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi. And you're right; I choose to make myself happy now. If feel like it's selfish…but maybe I should be selfish now."

"Hm," Kakashi mumbled slightly as he slipped his mask back up. Silently he concurred wholeheartedly. Sakura had given up a lot for Sasuke over the years. He was ashamed that the young Uchiha would blatantly go against her after the sacrifices she made for him.

"Sakura!" Naruto appeared at the top of the stairs, panting with the run. "They want you to come back down."

* * *

Ibiki stood behind Tsunade, but didn't speak. He stared at Sakura as he was apt to do to potential victims of his interrogation. Sakura's spine tingled with fear. 

Finally, Tsunade spoke and her tone was not as harsh as Sakura had expected.

"Sakura, I can't begin to tell you how shocked we are at what we heard today. Ibiki feels that you must resign from the Hunter squad and I feel that you should resign from ANBU. In the same way we treated Sasuke, you must earn our trust back," Tsunade iterated. Her countenance was sad. Sakura hated that she'd disappointed her teacher.

"I understand, Shishou. Please accept this as a verbal resignation from the Hunter-nin squad and the ANBU squad." Sakura looked Tsunade in the eye and received a slow nod in return.

"Your resignation is accepted. We'll get back to you on being limited to the village for missions when we've worked out the details. All right, Sakura. You may g…"

"Furthermore," Sakura cut in, her voice weak, but holding conviction "I would like to request permission to leave Konoha. I would like to take an indefinite leave from the ninja ranks to travel the smaller countries and use my medical skills in the more remote areas."

"What?" Kakashi blurted. "Why?"

Sakura turned to him and smiled. "I want to be selfish now. I've been taught skills to help people and I'm tired of death. I won't leave without permission, but please be assured that this is what I want. I'll check in once a year or as often as needed, but I wish to go." Sakura turned to Tsunade. "Can you understand?"

Of course, Tsunade could. Her thoughts went back to all the tragedy and anguish she had went through making that decision, as had Jiraiya. When a team breaks apart, it can be devastation for anyone. A desired escape is the first thought.

With a heavy sigh, Tsunade looked at everyone in the room for objections. She knew how the need to get away could be encompassing. Sakura was right. Death can take away the love of anything and sometimes you just had to leave it behind.

"I will allow it, Sakura. You will not need to check in…only…please let us know that you are all right from time to time. As of this moment, you are relieved of any Shinobi rank or duty. If you return, we will worry about reinstating you at that time." Tsunade's face was a mask of worry and apprehension but she conceded and that was all Sakura could hope for. "Please return one day."

"Thank you, Shishou."

Naruto touched Sakura's shoulder again, "Are you sure?"

Sakura nodded and looked at Sasuke who had been silent the entire time. He looked away from her gaze and she understood that he wasn't ready.

"When will you go?" Kakashi asked.

"Today."

* * *

Standing at the large gate of Konoha, Sakura touched the wood and then smiled at Naruto and Kakashi who had come to say goodbye. Naruto was close to tears. He held at her shirtsleeve and seemed unable to let go. For such a tall and impressive man, Sakura began to think Naruto's emotions ran as deep as hers. She loved that about him. 

"Oh, Kakashi…here." Sakura fished a scroll from her pack and handed it back to her old teacher. Turning it over in his hand, Kakashi looked at the undamaged fanged vengeance scroll.

"I'd feel better if you took this," he said quietly, holding the scroll out for her.

"I won't be needing it. I'm not a ninja anymore." She smiled and hugged Kakashi tightly. As uncomfortable as affectionate touch made him, he managed to half hug her back.

"Sakura-chan, why don't you stay? Asshole will grow up and forget it all. He'll get over it soon." Naruto grabbed her and pulled her against him tightly. Consolingly, Sakura stroked his hair and pressed her fingers into his back. It was harder to leave than she imagined and she found her eyes tearing up.

"I know he will. Please write to me when I get an address. I want to hear all about your exploits until you are Hokage," she laughed through the tears.

"When I'm Hokage, you have to come back for the ceremony."

"Deal," she said quietly, pressing her face into his shoulder.

Sasuke had not come, and she had not expected him to.

For the longest time, Sakura felt unable to let Naruto go. His hands seemed glued to her back and she wrapped her fingers in his shirt sides.

Finally, with some inner strength she didn't know she had, she pulled herself away. They watched her walk out of the gates until she was out of sight. Sakura would look back every so often to see them standing there together until she could see them no more.

She burned the picture of them into her memory.

Looking ahead, contentment finally filled her as she began her journey across the five countries.

* * *

In the time she traveled, she'd seen many sights that even ANBU had not taken her across. Almost feeling like a tourist, she enjoyed meeting new people and picking up small trinkets along the way. At each village, she'd spend some time at the local medical clinic helping out and talking to them about new medications. It was very fulfilling. 

Before she knew it, three months had passed; and for the last month she had settled in a small village near the water. It was beyond the five countries where a ninja was a rare thing. Since arriving, she'd only seen one or two passing through and they were more hired muscle than organized. She doubted they were from any of the countries.

The town was nice, the kind of place where people say good morning and learn your name. It was situated on a bay where men fished from their rusty metal boats and their wives sold their wares from small open-air market stands.

The smell of dango and sweets filled the air every Saturday morning from the small restaurant on the water. The fisherman would come back from their trips after days at sea and Sakura loved to watch the small reunions with their wives. It filled her with contentment.

Children would splash on the beach, and occasionally they would come to her with a cut foot from the smooth glass stones or a slashed finger from a fishhook. For now, she was content to deliver babies and heal chicken pox.

For now, life was almost perfect.

She thought about Sasuke once in a while. Kakashi's letters kept her informed of the goings on. He was lazy with correspondence as he was with everything, but he was consistent and his letters were thorough and friendly.

Naruto's letters came every other week filled with his tales of mission excitement in messy scrawl. The last letter said that Sasuke had asked about her.

Perhaps he was finding his way to fill that hole that his revenge had carved. Sakura hoped so.

The letters were forwarded from a post office box in Sand, which she'd set up as she went through. She didn't want to be found and so she kept that trail hidden. Maybe she'd return one day to Konoha, but for now, all she could do was find peace and wait.

Sitting in the restaurant by the water, Sakura enjoyed watching two small boys skipping flat stones as she finished her late meal. The sun was going down and the sky was a yellow orange so similar to Naruto's hair that she got a pang of sadness.

She picked at the fish on her plate and ran her finger along the silk obi of her blue yukata. Her eyes glazed over as she watched the waves running onto the beach.

"Oh Sakura-san, good evening." A friendly voice interrupted her inner thoughts and Sakura looked up to see the owner of the restaurant. Her name was Sakura too and her smile was wide. She owned the restaurant for thirty-five years and swore she'd be cooking in it until her last breath. Her gray hair was always messy, and she always had a pencil stuck behind her ear. Sakura liked her.

"Good evening, Sakura-san." Sakura smiled back. "Would you like to join me for some tea?"

"Oh, actually I came over to tell you a man was just here looking for you. I didn't know you had come in tonight. I sent him to your offices. I hope that was all right?" the elder Sakura said with some concern after registering Sakura's shock.

"A…a man? What did he look like?"

"Well, he was very, very handsome." The owner winked. "He had dark eyes and short dark hair."

"Th...thank you," Sakura managed. Her eyes weren't focusing because her heart was pumping her blood so fast that she thought she might pass out. Slowly rising from the table, she walked to the door. Her feet were uncooperative, but she still managed to get through the exit without banging the frame.

Shaking with anticipation, she emerged to look down the street where her office was located. No one seemed to be around it. The streets were quiet and the lamps were beginning to come on. She had a clear view of her office door.

Stunned with anticipation, Sakura pressed her hand to her cheek hoping her cool fingers would take the flush from her face. Her skin was hot.

Turning toward the water, she finally saw the silhouette of a man, dark against the sunset backdrop. He was still, and watching the two young boys skimming stones. Wearing a leather coat, dark pants and no headband, he looked so different, but there was no mistaking who he was.

Slowly, Sakura began to walk over to him but she stopped a step away when he turned to her. Already, she was crying. She couldn't mask it so why try? His presence unraveled her; it always had.

"I…I was so worried…that I'd killed you…" she sobbed. "I was so scared…"

"We both know you would be unable to kill me, Sakura," Itachi said quietly. He took the last step to come toe to toe with her. His face had that unreadable blankness. His dark eyes skimmed her short hair that she'd had cut just that morning.

Those eyes…she could hardly draw breath at the sight of them.

Seeing his face again brought everything back. That evening in the apartment when he was going to use the mangekyou on her, she begged softly "Itachi…please."

Consciousness was fading, but he stopped. For Itachi to second-guess his actions was unusual, but she was so grateful that he did.

"Ask me to stay…and I will," she said next.

He stared into her eyes for a long time. Then he asked.

He could have killed her, or put her out with his eyes, but he didn't. Uchiha Itachi made anuncharacteristicchoice in that moment, just as she had.

Coming up with a plan didn't take long. A trail to lead her comrades to her and a kunai filled with medical chakra that would begin healing him the instant he was struck were all part of the grand scheme. He had taught her how to put chakra into an item, just as he had done with her bracelet and all the doorframes years ago.

Itachi felt the kink in the plan was that she wouldn't fight and stab him, so he forced her. He knew her too well. In the moments he threatened Naruto, she knew he wasn't lying. It was enough to spur her actions, as hard as they were.

What if the chakra didn't work? What if she grabbed the wrong kunai?So manythings that could go wrong. The fear had held her mind every second after she struck him.

Kisame was a bonus in the plan. Using a jutsu to appear deceased, Itachi hoped that Kisame would help him. They had been partners a long time. His assumption had been correct and after leaving Itachi to heal on his own, Kisame presented another body to the leader.

They were free of the Akatsuki, and free of the restraints of being a ninja of Konoha. He was alive and real, touching her.

"You cut it," Itachi said evenlyrunning his fingers along the ends of her hair as if inspecting it.

Sakura ran her fingers through the back of his hair, "So did you." The tears stopped, but she couldn't smile.

"Everything happened exactly as you thought it would. Sasuke will never forgive me but he's alive and can go on with his life."

"He will forgive you."

Itachi looked back out over the water.

Sakura stared at him, her hand reaching for his side and he allowing it, as she pressed her body against his. He always seemed so cold, but she knew things about him that others couldn't see. He did things for her that no one else would ever understand.

She didn't know how long it could last or when he'd tire of her, but she'd take it for now.

They had time, which they had never had before.

For once, she'd enjoy being selfish.

* * *

Well, it is an Itasaku so I guess it should end an Itasaku 

I managed to get time to finish it today. As I said, reviews are not necessary. I will probably work on tempest next and a new kakasaku. I doubt I will ever come back to Itasaku.

Thanks to everyone who followed this and enjoyed it. Your encouragement was greatly appreciated.

Love Leafy.


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